Merissa
by CrispinRobb
Summary: Left in the wake of family tragedy, a young woman works to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Secrets from the past and promises for the future are revealed as romance blossoms.
1. Prologue

"Merissa!" He screamed as he tried to grab my hand.

Tears were streaming down his face. He was so hurt and so confused.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered under my breath, eyes focused on the sea.

All I could feel was the pounding of my feet against the sand. Pushing, pushing, pushing father down the beach and eventually reaching the water.

"I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 1: Broken Past

**Thank you for checking out my story! I will try to update pretty regularly. I already have a total of five chapters written, but I will release them over time.**

 **Please write a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Mako Mermaids or any ideas/characters from the show. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Broken Past**

I have been afraid to swim ever since the accident.

Everyone always tells me how dangerous it is that I refuse to swim. They tell me that if I fell off the boat and into the waves I would be a goner.

I, on the other hand, feel like it would be more dangerous for me to get into the water. I am completely capable of swimming. My father took me to swim lessons and taught me how to body surf when I was a little girl growing up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We lived in a beautiful beach home throughout the year. My mother owned a consignment store and my father was a lifeguard. We lived only two blocks away from the shore, just within walking distance but "not too close to grow tired of the view", according to my father.

We were the happiest family.

But if I have learned anything from my time spent near the sea, everything that comes must also go, much like how the prettiest of seashells are stolen back by the waves when they are just out of your grip.

It was the middle of hurricane season but one of the most beautiful days of August. A storm had just come through, leaving in its trail clear skies, a cool breeze, and rough waters.

The rip current warnings were posted all along the beach, yet went unnoticed by a young boy who was caught in the middle of one. My father, always the first to respond, ran into the waves only to be taken by the current and pulled out to sea. The boy was rescued by another lifeguard but my father was never found.

A few, grief-filled, months later, my mother suddenly fell ill. The doctors believe that it was a consequence of the stress of my father's disappearance putting strain on a congenitally weak cardiovascular system. She died of a broken heart.

My aunt and uncle moved into the beach house shortly after. They had always wanted to retire at the beach and felt like I needed someone to look after me. They were right.

I began my first year at college one year after my father's death. Surprisingly, the transition was fairly simple. I decided to major in nursing since serving was something that flowed through my veins, an attribute that I fully accredit to my parents.

Being able to get away for those nine months was what I needed to heal. I made friends, friends that didn't know about my past and didn't ask too many questions.

But I knew that everything that comes must also go.

I packed up my belongings, said goodbye to my roommate and friends, and began the long drive back to my broken past.

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 **Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review if you feel so inclined to do so. I have so much material already and so many ideas and I can't wait to share them all with you!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	3. Chapter 2: Pandora's Box

**I decided to surprise you all by uploading chapter 2 early! Thank you so much for reading! Read carefully to see how the story starts to relate to Mako! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. However, I do own a betta fish named after an H2O character. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Pandora's Box**

"You know, a new boy moved in across the street." My Uncle Chris said as he helped to unpack my clothes.

I chuckled a little bit, he was always trying to set me up with someone.

"I had my fair share of dates at State, you know." I said, giving him a little shove. "I am just ready for a carefree summer."

"Who says I was trying to set you up with him?" He asked, with a look of false offense. "I just thought I would let you know in case you wanted a friend."

It was a nice thought, being able to have a friend this summer. I was quite popular before the accident. Afterwards, my "friends" became distant, drawing away from me because they didn't know how to handle the situation. In their defense, it was justifiable. I turned into a shell of what I once was, repressing all of my emotions and drawing within myself. Two of my friends stayed by my side; however, one of them was in Paris this summer as part of a study abroad opportunity and the other was completing an internship in Chicago. This would be a summer of solitude for me.

Or should I say, it would have been a summer of solitude. Now, a boy my age had moved into the beach house next door. It was a small, one story home that was owned and occupied by an elderly couple. During the summer, they spent time with their children and grand-children in Massachusetts and rented out the home to family-friends and vacationers.

I asked my uncle how long the boy planned on being here and he said that he would be staying the whole summer, mowing our yard and life-guarding to pay rent.

My heart sank a bit when he said he would be a lifeguard.

I think my uncle could see the hurt in my eyes and squeezed my shoulder before leaving the room to give me some alone time. The whole upstairs part of the house was mine, with my aunt and uncle sleeping in the large master bedroom downstairs.

I heard him walk down the stairs, shut the bedroom door, and cried. I haven't cried in more than a year and have only cried twice in the past two: once when my father was declared unrecoverable after a week of searching and once more at my mother's funeral. Until now, I had kept my emotions neatly packed away.

Much like Pandora's Box, everything had opened at once. All of the resentment. All of the anger. All of the grief. All of the emotions that I had kept inside for so long poured out of me in the form of salty tears and aching sobs.

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 **Once again, thank you for reading! Check back soon for more chapters!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	4. Chapter 3: Dillon

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. However, I do own a purple waffle plant. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Dillon**

I woke up in all of my clothes, completely exhausted from the monsoon of emotions that rocked me the night before.

I looked in the mirror, a decision I instantly regretted. Dried mascara was caked in streaks down my cheeks and my dark brownish-black eyes were bloodshot.

I took a shower and let the hot water flow down my body, soothing the pain in both my muscles and fatigued mind.

I put on some jean shorts and an oversized t-shirt, made myself a cup of coffee, and headed down to the front porch.

The house is on stilts and the large front porch that stretches the width of the home overlooks the neighborhood. If you look carefully, you can see a sliver of the water between two houses.

I eased myself into one of the rockers, took a sip of my coffee, and closed my eyes.

"Did you just go for a swim?"

My eyes shot open. The boy was in the front lawn with his push-mower, calling up to me.

He had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, so bright that I could see them all the way up on the porch. His skin was relatively tan in relation to his light hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only a pair of worn athletic shorts and tennis shoes. He was muscular, not in the way that looked like he went to the gym every day, but one could tell that he was definitely active. He was handsome, but not in an intimidating way. His features were natural and a result of a lot of time spent outdoors.

"What?" I replied, not because I hadn't heard him, but because I was in shock.

He laughed and started to come up the stairs. Startling me even more. My ability to interact with new people is an area that needs improvement. I am a loyal and outgoing individual after I have the opportunity to get to know someone and open up to them. Meeting people for the first time, on the other hand, turns me into a stuttering mess.

"You must be Merissa." He said, walking across the porch towards my rocker.

I looked up at him, he was about my height, which was tall. His light hair and blue eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight.

"You would be correct." I said, wondering where this newfound confidence came from.

Something about him put me at ease. He had a warm presence and something about him seemed familiar, like an old friend.

He chuckled and flashed a radiant smile.

"Well, Merissa, I'm Dillon. I just moved in next door for the summer." He said, taking my hand and shaking it firmly. "Your uncle has told me a lot about you."

"Of course he has." I said, pulling my hand away and looking down.

I found my face turning hot and red. I couldn't possibly be developing feelings for this stranger, but something about him made my heart melt a little bit.

"I promise he has only said wonderful things." He said, catching my gaze with his.

"I thought it would be nice having someone to spend time with this summer." He said, his face growing more serious. "I don't have that many friends here and I thought it would be great if we could hang out."

"I would love that." I said, without really thinking.

I don't know why I told him that I would love to spend time with him. My head was telling me to stay reserved. This summer was supposed to be about self-restoration, not spending time with a boy that I had just met.

My heart, on the other hand, was telling me to open up to him. He seemed trusting and kind. Most intriguingly, he seemed incredibly familiar.

He smiled that radiant smile again, taking my hand one last time and shaking it.

"Wonderful, I will start making plans." He said before turning to head back down the stairs.

All of a sudden he turned back.

"You never answered my question." He said, laughing.

"What?" I asked, mostly because I was genuinely confused.

"Did you go for a swim this morning?" He asked, approaching me and looking at my still-wet hair.

"Oh, no, I didn't. I just took a shower this morning." I said, suddenly growing self-conscious. "I'm not exactly fond of swimming…I mean… I can swim… I just don't like to… you know… swim."

Yes, the stuttering had returned.

Despite my unfortunate rambling, he simply smiled and said, "I understand. I will see you around."

I ran back inside as he walked down the stairs, wondering what happened and why my head felt like it was full of water. I couldn't dictate the emotions that I was feeling, but, for the first time in more than a year, I started to feel whole again.

* * *

 **Thanks again for reading! I know the first two chapter were pretty short, but they are getting longer! I hope you like the story so far!  
**

 **- _Crispin Robb_**


	5. Chapter 4: Something Nice

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review to let me know what you think! Keep reading carefully...  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own coral nail polish, though. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Something Nice**

"Merissa, why is one of my good mugs on the front porch?" I heard my Aunt Mimmi call as I was painting my nails.

Step one of my self-restoration summer would be centered on my physical appearance. At Sate, I never really had time to focus on my looks. Nursing school is hard and making it to class on time was prioritized above putting on a full face of makeup. However, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands and, being the restless person I am, I was determined to spend it doing something productive. Productive thing number one just happen to be painting my toes coral, my favorite color.

Unfortunately, in the midst of my panicked escape from Dillon, I left my aunt's mug on the ground.

"Sorry!" I called down, putting the last swipe of topcoat on my pinky toe.

I hobbled downstairs, nails still wet, and retrieved the mug from its resting spot. The coffee was a waste, but that first sip was all I really needed as a natural early-bird.

I was rinsing off the mug when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs from under the house. I turned around to find my uncle and Dillon emerging through the door, talking jovially about planning a round of golf together.

"Oh hey, Merissa!" Dillon exclaimed as he met my gaze.

"Oh… hey Dillon." I said nervously, focusing my attention on drying the mug and wondering what had happened to the calm and collected girl that Dillon first met on the porch.

I realized that I was thinking too much into the situation. Dillon was just a guy. A very kind and considerate guy that I should be able to talk to without freaking myself out.

"When are we going hang out?" He asked, smiling yet looking intent.

"How about tonight?" I asked, gathering my confidence and meeting his gaze.

"That sounds perfect, I'll make plans. Maybe we can head out around 6?"

"I'll see you then." I said, putting the mug on the counter. "What should I wear?"

"Something nice." He said, "We are going to have a great time."

He said goodbye to me and my uncle before leaving back down the stairs.

He seemed genuinely excited. I was genuinely excited; however, I was also nervous. I really don't like surprises and having people make plans for me was not something that I am too fond of.

But there was something about Dillon that made it OK. There was so much that I felt like I needed to know about him, so much that I needed to learn. I was curious as to why he was living in a beach house by himself. Where were his parents? Did he have parents? Was I finally going to meet someone that actually understood what I was going through?

"So you get all mad at me and accuse me of trying to set you up with someone, only to set yourself up?" My Uncle Chris said, jokingly, snapping me out of my daydream and making me laugh.

"We aren't going on a date." I replied, in defense. "We are just two kids getting to know one another while on summer vacation."

"OK, Merissa, whatever you say." He said laughing before leaving down the stairs.

I put the mug in the cabinet and leaned against the counter, contemplating the decision to go out tonight. Dillon was simply a nice guy and I am overthinking things. I have spent too much time guarding my heart and I am ready to open up to someone new.

But am I actually ready? I figured I wouldn't know until I tried.

* * *

 **Thank you, again, for reading! I hope you guys are liking the story! I can't wait to upload more chapters.  
**

 ** _-Crispin Robb_**


	6. Chapter 5: Aqua Blue

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! As always, read carefully!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. All OCs are my own creation. The dress described in this chapter is based on one that I found on Pinterest (which I don't own, either).**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Aqua Blue**

"Julia, you aren't helping!" I said, laughing as I pulled a leather dress away from her and hung it back on the rack.

"Maybe this is your big chance for re-invention!" She said, pulling the dress back out to examine it.

"Possibly," I said, looking through some more dresses, "but I don't think that 'skin-tight black leather' is exactly Dillon's type."

"You can't knock it 'till you try it." She said in a sing-song voice as she made her way into the back room.

I have worked in my mom's consignment store ever since I can remember. While I know the layout like the back of my hand, with its large front room and office in the back, the clothes are always changing. Treasures wait to be found among old coats and ripped jeans.

Sunbeams Consignment is the go-to shop for affordable and chic outfits in my particular beach town, at least when it is not being used as my personal closet.

Julia is the manager and one of my closest friends, almost acting as the older sister I never had. She is beautiful with long blonde hair that hung to her waist and a sense of style that rivaled Vogue. I always went to her for advice, be it about fashion or boys… or both.

I continued to look through racks upon racks of dresses, looking for the perfect one to wear on my date with Dillon.

At least I think that it is a date. Maybe it is just two soon-to-be-friends having a casual dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town.

No, it is definitely a date.

I continued to search through the store, but with no luck. All of the dresses either seemed to be too fancy or were simply not my style. I wanted something sophisticated, but also a bit relaxed and care-free.

"I think I'm going to have to go to the department store." I said, a bit disappointed that, for the first time, I couldn't find exactly what I needed at Sunbeams.

"Wait!" Julia cried, rushing out of the back office with a garment bag in hand.

"I think your mother would want you to have this." She said, unzipping the bag and revealing the most beautiful aqua blue dress I have ever seen.

The top of the dress was covered in white lace. The brilliant blue color peeked through the intricate design until being fully reveled in the flowy skirt. A sash wrapped around the waist to tie in a bow at the back.

"Julia, this is gorgeous." I said, staring at the dress and running my fingers along the silky material.

"I found it in the office when I was cleaning up. I think your mother wanted you to wear it for your high school graduation." She replied, with sorrow in her eyes.

My mom had always dreamed of being a fashion designer. She took many classes at the community college before I was born in hopes of starting her own line. After I came along, she opened Sunbeams to help provide for the family. She took old items of clothing that were consigned and made them into beautiful creations. She turned old jeans into adorable shorts and old t shirts into vintage-looking tank tops. Fake gems from old prom dresses were transformed into beautiful accessories. There was nothing she couldn't do.

She must have spent days designing and making this dress. The lace looked like it had come from an antique wedding dress while the blue chiffon must have come from a ball gown. The tag sewn into the back of the dress had her brand on it, "Designs by E".

A tear formed in my eye and ran down my check. Julia wiped it away with her thumb, hung the dress on a nearby rack and embraced me in a hug.

"I know, I miss her, too." She said, pulling me close to her.

Julia had known my mom as long as I have. My mom hired her mom to work in the store with her when Julia was ten years old. Our mothers took some classes together and would flip through fashion magazines while Julia played with me in the corner. My mom turned the store over to her when she graduated from college.

"How about you go try on this dress." She said, releasing me and handing me the dress as I wiped some remaining tears from my face.

I went into the dressing rooms, which were no more than some curtains that we rigged up in the back corner of the store, and slipped the dress on.

To my amazement, it fit like a glove.

I twirled around in the dressing room, admiring myself in the mirror and imagining all of the ways I could accessorize.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Julia cried from behind the curtain.

I walked out of the dressing room to reveal my new favorite item of clothing.

"Merissa," she said, with a hand over her mouth. "You look beautiful."

She ran over to the jewelry rack and grabbed a pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.

"These will be perfect with it." She said, handing me the accessories. "I would wear some nude heals with the dress. Maybe curl your hair, too, and wear it half-up-half-down."

She took my hands in hers and said, "I am so proud of you."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! This is probably one of my favorite chapters so far (but agh, the feels)! I can't wait to share more with you all!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	7. Chapter 6: Too Soon To Share

**As always, thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated and I hope you are enjoying the story so far!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own a Netflix to watch Mako Mermaids because I just use my boyfriend's. However, all of the OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Too Soon to Share**

I rode my bike home from the store and dropped off my new outfit in my room. I carefully hung the dress in my closet and put the necklace and earrings on my jewelry tree.

I looked at the picture of me, my mom, and my dad that was taped to my mirror. It was taken when we were all at the beach on the Fourth of July. My dad was holding a hot dog that he immediately devoured after the picture was taken. My mom was laughing at something behind the camera, her beautiful green eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. I was in the middle, with my arm wrapped around my mom and looking up at my dad. He was my hero and my best friend. She was my confidant and my biggest supporter.

I decided to walk down to the beach. I needed a minute to clear my head and, while I do not enjoy swimming, I love watching the movement of the ocean. The sound of the waves and the feeling of warm sand between my toes never fails to soothe me.

I put on a bathing suit, filled a small cooler, and packed a towel and some sunscreen. I still had about two hours to myself before I needed to get ready for my date tonight.

I found my favorite spot on the beach, a nice flat area near the dunes, and laid out my towel. The sun was warm on my back as I laid on my stomach, with my head resting on my forearms.

All of a sudden, my tranquility was interrupted by a Frisbee hitting the back of my leg.

I slowly peeled myself off the towel and reached for the Frisbee. A group of guys ran up to me, expressing their apologies.

"It's fine." I said, slightly annoyed. I handed them the disc and they ran off.

"You can join us if you want to." I heard one of the boys call back to me.

I looked back up to see Dillon grinning. I laughed to myself and ran over to him.

"Once again, sorry about hitting you." He said, as we walked over to join his new friends.

"It's all good." I replied. "I needed to get my mind off things anyways."

"Is everything ok?" He said, stopping to turn to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm here if you need anything."

"Maybe we can talk about it at dinner." I said, surprised that he had his hand on me and even more surprised that I was willing to open up to him.

I never really talked to any of my friends about the death of my parents. Most did not understand what I was going through. Others simply drifted away out of fear of not knowing what to say. I didn't want to lose Dillon over something that happened in my past but I also didn't want to stay so lonely.

We finally met up with Dillon's friends after walking to a spot that was farther away from each-goers.

"Merissa, this is Nick, Bentley, and Austin." Dillon said as the guys all waved back.

"Bentley and Austin both life-guard with me and Nick works at the bait shop on the pier."

"Nice to meet you all." I said, before we started to toss the Frisbee around.

After a while of throwing the disc to each other, Bentley suggested that we go in the water. My eyes shot over to Dillon in a way to plead him to make an excuse so that I didn't have to join.

"Hey guys, I'm pretty tired," He said, picking up on my signals that I would do anything but get into the ocean. "I think I might sit down for a bit."

"I'll join him," I said, rushing to catch up to him as he made his way to my beach towel. "It was nice meeting you all!"

We returned to my spot by the dunes. He pulled a bottle of water from my cooler and offered me one.

"Thank you for covering for me." I said, taking the bottle with my eyes cast downward. I should be able to stand up for myself, but sharing my fear of water would mean sharing my entire past. It was just too soon to share.

"You're welcome." He replied. "If there is anything that I can do, just let me know. I don't know why you are afraid, and you by no means have to tell me why, but I just want you to be OK. I hate to see you hurt like this."

I felt myself start to tear up. I have cried more in the past twenty four hours than I have in the past two years. These were happy tears, though. No one had taken the time to care for me or go out of their way to make sure that I was alright. Empty condolences and heartless apologies were all I have received in the past year and a half.

I tried to hide the tears that tickled my eyes and burned my cheeks, but to no avail.

"Merissa, look at me." Dillon said, lightly cupping my chin in his hand and turning my face towards him. "Like I said before, you don't need to tell me what is troubling you, but I am here for you. If you still want to talk over dinner then I am more than willing to listen. If you are too upset right now, we don't have to talk about it."

"It's OK," I said, wiping what I hoped was the last of the tears from my face. "I am just happy that someone cares enough to listen."

"Are you sure that is all?" He asked, his gaze still locked on my face.

"I'm sure." I said, looking back up at him.

We sat in silence for a minute, simply looking at one another. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

A loud ringtone suddenly interrupted our moment together. I forgot that I had set an alarm on my phone to let me know when it was time to start getting ready.

"I am so sorry," I said, scrambling to try to find my phone in my bag.

"It's no problem!" He replied, laughing and helping me in my search.

We eventually found the phone and cut off the alarm. He helped me pack up my things and we walked back to our houses together.

"I can't wait to see you soon!" He called as I walked up the stairs to the house.

"See you soon." I said, blushing.

I turned back to see him grinning and walking into his house.

Tonight was going to be fun.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I can't wait to upload more material for you all!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	8. Chapter 7: Treasures

**Hooray for new chapters! As always, thank you for reading! Please add a review if you want to! This is just a short, but very sweet, chapter.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own a plane ticket to Australia, unfortunately. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Treasures**

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" I whimpered as burned both the tips of my fingers and the back of my neck with the curling wand.

"Merissa, are you OK?" I heard my Aunt Mimmi call from downstairs.

"I'm fine!" I screamed, trying to make my voice louder than the song that was blaring from my phone.

I never have been and never will be good at curling my hair. This had to be the only time that I regretted listening to Julia's beauty advice. After burning both my fingers and my left ear, however, my hair actually looked pretty good. I braided the two front pieces of my hair and secured them in the back with some bobby pins. After a quick swipe of lipstick and a bit of hairspray, I was ready to put on my dress.

The dress still fit like a glove and was beautifully accentuated with the pearl jewelry. I put on my heels, grabbed my clutch, and headed downstairs.

"Oh, look at you!" My aunt said as I came down the last flight.

"Give us a turn!" My Uncle Chris said, reaching for his camera to take a picture.

Normally, I would be embarrassed by all of the attention; however, I felt and looked like a princess. My confidence was the highest it had been in years.

"Let me go grab something really quick, don't move." My aunt said, hurrying back to her bedroom.

She reemerged holding a small wooden box. She carefully set it on the coffee table, opened it, and revealed the most beautiful barrette I have ever seen. I was covered in pearls and aqua blue gem stones that matched my dress perfectly.

She un-clipped it and delicately placed it in my hair. I walked over to a nearby mirror and admired how it sparked against my dark locks.

"Aunt Mimmi, this is beautiful." I said. "Where did you get this?"

"An old friend found it and gave it to me." She said, with a gaze in her eye that looked far-gone and reminiscent. "She found all sorts of treasures just like this and filled a room with them."

I saw Uncle Chris put a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

"But, regardless," my aunt said, regaining her composure, "you look beautiful and I am so happy for you."

"Go have fun on your date!" My uncle Chris said, taking one more picture before allowing me to meet Dillon at the door.

"Are you ready to go?" Dillon said, taking my hand in his.

"More than ready." I replied before waving goodbye to my aunt and uncle and heading out the door.

* * *

 **Thank you, again, for reading! Anyone have an idea where the barrette came from?**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	9. Chapter 8: Finally Free

**Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought in a review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. I do own the plate of sushi that I had for lunch today (until I ate it...). All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Finally Free**

Dillon held my hand all the way down the stairs and led me to his car that was parked in the driveway. While I was confident in how I looked, I was not confident in my ability to walk all the way down the stairs in four inch heels. Needless to say, I was thankful for his support.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He said as we walked across that street. "That color looks great on you."

"Thank you." I replied, trying not to let him see me blush.

He opened the door to the passenger seat and helped me into the car.

"I am so excited to try out this restaurant." He said as he got behind the wheel.

"Me, too." I said, buckling my seat-belt. "I have never been before."

"Really?" He asked as he turned the ignition.

"Yeah," I replied. "It only opened about a year ago, but ever since it opened it has been called the best sushi place at the beach."

"That's what I heard," he said as he pulled the car out of the driveway. "I love sushi so this was the first place I wanted to try as soon as I moved here."

We talked about our interests and hobbies all the way to the restaurant. He was impressed that I was a nursing major and on my school's club track team. I was impressed that he learned how to surf at age four and likes to sing in his free time.

We finally pulled into the parking lot of Māmeido Sushi after about a ten minute drive along the beach. The best part about our beach town is that you can almost always see the ocean while driving along the main road.

Dillon helped me out of the car and walked with me to the front door of the restaurant. He had made reservations ahead of time so we were able to be seated immediately. Our booth was right next to a beautiful fish tank that stretched the entire length of the wall. The aquarium was filled with angel fish, clown fish, and even puffer fish. It was almost hypnotizing to look at.

"So where are you from, Merissa?" Dillon asked, taking a sip of the water that the waiter must have placed on the table.

"I've lived here my whole life." I replied, still admiring the aquarium. "My mom and dad moved here from Australia before I was born. They built the house that I live in now with my aunt and uncle."

"Why did they move?" Dillon asked.

"They said that they wanted new beginnings and a new adventure." I replied, taking my gaze away from the fish to look back at Dillon. "My aunt and uncle moved over soon after. My aunt lived in Canada before coming to Australia but my uncle was born there. They lived in Virginia before coming down to live with me here."

"That's interesting." Dillon replied with a pensive look on his face.

"Where are you from?" I asked, returning my gaze to the water beside me.

"I'm from Tampa Bay, Florida." He replied, joining me in looking at the aquarium. "I've lived there all my life."

"Why did you leave?" I asked, returning my gaze to him.

"I was home-schooled by my parents until last year." He said, still looking at the aquarium. "Instead of going to college I decided to try and make a life for myself. Things were falling apart at home so I thought that now would be a good time to let go. I saw that my current house was being rented out for cheap so I jumped at the opportunity. As long as I am near the beach I'm happy."

"That's nice." I said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents? Why don't they live with you?" Dillon asked, turning from the aquarium and locking eyes with me.

I felt my mouth go dry. I haven't told the story of my parents' deaths in over a year. I felt my hands start to shake and I felt my face grow hot and red from shame and fear. I didn't want to lose Dillon in the same way I had lost so many other friends. I cared about him too much.

I slowly took a sip of water and began to tell my story.

"It was right before my senior year of high school," I started in a shaky voice. "My father was a lifeguard and my mother owned a consignment store. Life was perfect. One day, my dad went on a call to save a boy stuck in a rip tide. The boy was saved but my father was never seen again."

I started to choke on the last sentence. Dillon reach over the table and squeezed my hand as a message of silent encouragement.

"My mom wasn't the same after my dad was declared unrecoverable. They were so in love. They met in elementary school and were inseparable since then. They started to date in high school and he proposed a year after graduation. After getting married, they moved to North Carolina. They had done everything together."

It started to feel like my throat was closing up. I took another shaky sip of water and continued speaking.

"After a few months my mom started to get really sick, she was tired all the time and wouldn't get out of bed. She tried to go to work one day and ended up collapsing on the floor. My friend Julia and I rushed her to the hospital where she died a day later. She had a weak heart. It was a congenital condition that was passed down from her mother who also died when my mom was young. The stress and grief was just too much for her."

I started to feel my palms grow clammy. I paused to catch my breath again, but Dillon interrupted me before I could continue.

"You don't have to tell me any more if you don't want to." He said, looking me in the eyes with a sympathetic softness.

"It's OK," I said, taking another deep breath. "I can do this."

He squeezed my hand one more time as I continued.

"I lost a lot of friends during my senior year. A lot of people were expressed their condolences, but it was almost like people were afraid of me. They didn't know what to say. I turned into a hollow shell of what I once was. I quit track, my grades started to slip, and I refused to ever set foot in the ocean. Going to college a year later made things easier. I had all new friends who didn't know about my past and I didn't tell them. I started to love myself again."

"How are you now?" He asked.

"I'm OK. I'm coping and learning how to take care of myself. I'm glad my aunt and uncle are here, but I obviously miss my mom and dad."

"I'm glad that you talked to me." He said, smiling.

"I am, too." I replied, exhaling a sign of relief. I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders and I was finally free to be myself around Dillon.

We placed our orders soon after. We both ordered the raw tuna rolls with extra tuna on the side.

"Now," I said, as the waiter placed our plates in front of us, "since I opened up to you, what is going on at home? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"No," he said, breaking apart his chopsticks. "It's OK. I can tell you."

"The part of town that we lived in was pretty rough." He started, quickly popping a piece of sushi in his mouth.

"There was a lot of violence. My parents never really felt safe living there but we didn't really have a choice. We just didn't have any way to move. My parents always told me that if there was any way for me to get out then I should. Well, opportunities come along and things happen and now I'm here."

"What kinds of opportunities?" I asked.

"Let's just say I know a few guys and they helped me move. They promised to take care of my parents if I helped them and some other people with something." He replied, keeping his eyes focused on his plate.

"It wasn't a gang, was it?" I asked, suddenly very concerned for his personal safety.

"Oh no, it wasn't a gang!" He said, laughing. "It was a few long-time family friends. They are really good guys, maybe you will even meet them someday."

We finished dinner and rode home while telling old stories about our families and friends. Dillon was incredibly considerate and fun to be around. I found myself falling for him more and more.

After pulling into his driveway and putting the car in park, Dillon turned to look at me.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Merissa." He said, looking into my eyes.

"Me, too." I said, suddenly feeling my face grow hot.

"Thank you for opening up to me about your past." He said, grabbing my hand. "I know that it wasn't easy for you, but I want you to know that you can trust me."

"I definitely trust you." I said, as he leaned in even closer.

"Good."

After whispering that last word he gently grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into a kiss.

I felt all of the tension and fear and anxiety I had been holding on to for so long melt away in that moment. I placed my fingers on the back of his neck and kissed him again.

"Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?" He asked as we came up for air.

"I would love that."

* * *

 **As always, thank you for reading! This chapter was so fun to write and so sweet. 10 points if you looked up what the name of the sushi restaurant means... Things are about to go down in the next chapter, so stay tuned for more!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	10. Chapter 9: Falling

**New chapters are the best kinds of chapters! As always, thank you for reading and leave a review if you feel so inclined to do so.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. My purple waffle and betta fish are doing good, though, so I still own those. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Falling**

"When was the last time you went in the water?" Dillon asked as we walked over the dunes.

The cool sand felt amazing on my bare feet, especially after a long night of walking in heels. I went upstairs to change into a tank top and jean shorts before walking to the beach with Dillon. I tied my now-loose curls into a ponytail and carefully placed the pearl barrette on my dresser. Dillon changed out of the button down and khakis that he was wearing at dinner and put on some athletic shorts and an old t shirt.

"I can't remember." I said, intertwining my fingers with his. "It was probably a few days before the accident, but I can't remember any specifics."

This was actually a lie.

My last time in the water was exactly a week before my dad's disappearance. It was the most beautiful day we had all summer. The water was warm, flat, and crystal clear which was rare for the coast of North Carolina. My mom was tanning on the beach and my was dad making sandwiches for lunch under the umbrella. I was snorkeling close to shore when saw something sparkling in the sand below me. I picked it up to find a beautiful ring. It was silver with a bright blue stone that sparkled in the sun. I stood up in the water and took off my goggles to get a closer look. Around the stone appeared to be a fish's tail made out of the silver. It looked just like a ring that I had seen my mom wear in a few old pictures from high school.

I tried the ring on and it fit perfectly.

"Mom! Dad! Look what I found!" I called as I ran up the beach toward my parents.

I held out my hand to show them the ring. My mom lowered her sunglasses and my dad dropped the knife that he was spreading mustard with.

"What's wrong?" I asked, quickly becoming concerned. "Didn't you have a ring just like this, mom?"

"I- I did." She replied, still staring at my hand. "A long time ago."

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, still admiring my new treasure.

"It is." My dad said, walking over towards me. "We just haven't seen one in such a long time. They were quite popular in Australia when we were your age. Every girl had one, including your mother. They really are just cheap costume jewelry. Someone must have lost it while swimming."

"Your dad is right, Merissa." My mom said, putting her sunglasses back on. "It's just a ring, and this one looks pretty scratched up. I can probably sell it in the consignment store and get it off your hands."

"OK." I said as I tentatively took the ring off my index finger. I handed it to my mom and she put it in her purse.

I haven't seen the ring since that day.

"Do you want to walk to the pier?" Dillon asked, snapping me back from my flashback.

"Sure!" I replied, trying to regain my sense of awareness.

There wasn't anyone on the beach. The sun had just set and the stars were starting to shine. The full moon was reflecting in the water and illuminating the entire beach. Peace washed over me like gentle waves washing over the sand.

Dillon and I walked in silence, enjoying the sand between our toes, the sound of the ocean, and the company of one another.

We finally reached the pier after a nice stroll. We washed the sand off of our feet using a nearby hose. After shaking the excess water off our legs and putting on our flip flops, we made our way up the stairs and onto the pier.

We walked all the way to the end of the wooden pier. I was a bit nervous to be right above the ocean, but Dillon made me feel safe.

"Look up," he said, pointing to the sky. "Do you see that bright star?"

"Yes," I replied, looking into the darkness.

"That's the North Star. Sailors would use this star as a compass to guide them on their voyages across the sea. No matter where they were, they always knew which way they were going. Sometimes, sailors would even-."

Dillon was suddenly interrupted by a whooshing noise that went right between our heads.

"Was that an icicle?" I asked in complete shock, watching the shard of ice fall into the ocean below.

"Oh no." I heard Dillon whisper under his breath.

We both turned around to see two men that could have been statues. They were at least six and a half feet tall and looked like they belonged in an action movie. Both of their heads were shaved and they were wearing identical navy t-shirts and pants. There was a long black chain around both of their necks, at the end of which were gemstones that looked identical to the one that was in my ring. These gemstones, however, appeared to be glowing.

The men were barefoot and slowly walking towards us.

"Give us the girl." One of them demanded in a booming voice.

"Get behind me." Dillon said, looking at me with fear in his eyes.

"We will ask nicely one more time." The other said with his icy blue eyes glaring at us. "Give us the girl and no one gets hurt."

"Leave her out of this." Dillon said, putting his arms out to protect me. "She hasn't done anything. She has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this." The first man said as he continued his approach. "Give her to us."

"When will you thugs learn to just give up?" Dillon shouted.

He suddenly waved his arm across his body. A huge column of water came from the sea and washed over the two men with incredible force. They fell to the ground, completely wet.

"Merissa, you have to trust me." Dillon said frantically as he took his shirt off. "We have to jump into the water."

"No, Dillon, please. I can't do that. It's too high." I replied, both scared to death and overwhelmed.

I looked back at the two men. They were starting to come-to and struggling to get up.

"Merissa, please, it is our only way out." He said, kicking of his flip flops and climbing up the railing.

I turned around again to see one of the men pulling himself across the pier. He was still soaking wet and laying on his stomach. His glare was menacing.

I saw Dillon reach out his arm as the man suddenly froze in place, as if almost encapsulated in ice.

I was completely in shock.

"How did you-." I shouted as I looked back at him. I was on the verge of tears.

"I will explain later. We don't have much time." He said, grabbing me and putting me on the rail.

"You need to jump on three." He said, taking my hand in his.

"One."

"No, Dillon, I-"

"Two."

"Please, no, anything but-"

"Three."

And we were falling.

* * *

 **Cliff hangers are the best kinds of hangers! Thank you for reading and I can't wait to upload more!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	11. Chapter 10: Tool of the Ocean

**Thank you all for your views and reviews! Keep them coming! I appreciate you all so much and thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time to read this story that I have worked so hard on.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. However, I do own a birthmark on the inside of my arm that looks like a fish which is pretty neat. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Tool of the Ocean**

I remember the first time my dad took me body-surfing. I was eight years old and full of spunk and ambition. I was determined to be the best body-surfer in the entire world, riding waves for miles and swimming as well as a dolphin.

My dreams were soon humbled when I rode my first wave. It was a pretty big wave, but both my dad and I were certain that I could handle it. Everything was going smoothly until the wave crashed over me, flipping me over and slamming me into the shore. I remember feeling so small and helpless as I tumbled through the water. I was a tool of the ocean, to be used however it wanted.

My mom ran over to us, cursing at my dad for letting me take such a huge wave. I remember sitting up on the shore, adjusting the straps on my one piece, and proudly exclaiming "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

My dad gave me a high five as my mom rolled her eyes and returned to her chair.

As soon as I hit the water with Dillon, I felt eight years old again.

I was a tool of the ocean, to be used however it wanted.

A wave washed over me as I went to take a breath. I felt water go into my lungs and instinctively began coughing.

"Dillon!" I shouted, trying to catch my breath and stay afloat.

"I'm right here." He said, swimming over to me. "It's OK. It's going to be OK."

"I'm scared." I said, still trying to stay above the waves.

"Merissa, look at me." He said, swimming in front of me so that my eyes locked on his. "I need you to calm down and I need you to swim. We are almost out of this."

I started to relax. I tried to remember how much I loved the water and how strong of a swimmer I was. My legs suddenly felt more powerful and I felt more buoyant.

"Follow me." Dillon said.

He turned and started to swim towards shore. I followed as my legs and arms remembered what they had done so naturally just a few years ago.

The water was dark and I had a hard time seeing where I was going, but I let the waves gently guide me to shore where Dillon was waiting.

"We need to get out of here." He said as I got out of the water.

He took my hand and we ran back to his home.

When we arrived, he threw open the screen door, shuffled me in, and slammed it behind us. He locked the door and frantically ran around the small house, locking all of the windows and closing all of the curtains.

"Dillon, please tell me what happened." I said, sitting on the couch in the small living room that was separated from the kitchen by a bar.

"This was not supposed to happen." He mumbled to himself as he paced around the room. "They said that they weren't supposed to find us. How did they find us?"

"Who is 'they', Dillon?" I asked, becoming more irritated.

"They promised that if I came here then no one would get hurt." Dillon continued, pacing faster. His voice was becoming louder and louder. "I only have one mission and I almost failed. How did this happen?"

"Dillon, please!" I pleaded.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the bar.

Right when he hit the bar, an explosion of steam came from the sink. Both of the faucets shot into the air.

I let out a scream and covered my head with my hands.

The faucets fell and clattered on the ground, causing Dillon to snap back to reality.

"Merissa, I am so sorry." He said, running over to me.

I was uncontrollably crying at this point. I was scared and hurt and confused. The one person in the world that I had come to trust had turned into a monster. I didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Dillon, what happened back there?" I asked, choking on sobs. "Who are you?"

"Merissa, I don't know how much I can tell you without putting you in more danger than you are already in." Dillon said, standing back up to pace around the room. "We had a deal that we were to keep the whole situation in the water. No land-people were supposed to get hurt."

"Land-people?" I asked, wiping the tears from my face. "Dillon, what are you talking about?"

"I don't know how to put this in a way that won't make you freak out." He said, turning to me.

"I'm not following you." I said, looking at him, desperate for an explanation.

"Merissa, I am a merman."

* * *

 **AHHHH MORE CLIFFHANGERS! Stay tuned for more! As always, thank you for reading.**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	12. Chapter 11: Their Worst Nightmare

**As always, thank you for reading! The support I have received is amazing and I am so thankful. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own a tea kettle but I really want one. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Their Worst Nightmare**

"Do you want some tea?" Dillon asked as he put a kettle on the stove.

After telling me that he was a merman, we sat in silence. I was able to calm down and get my emotions under control.

"But you didn't have a tail." I mused, still completely in shock at what Dillon had told me. "I'm just having a hard time believing you."

I was still trying to process everything when Dillon took the kettle off the stove and turned the burner off.

"That can't be done boiling." I said, looking up at him as he put the kettle on the coffee table in front of me.

"It's not." He said as he took the lid off. He placed his fingers in the water to test the temperature. "It's actually still pretty cold."

"What about it?" I asked, staring at the kettle.

"Watch this." He said.

He placed his arm out in front of him so his hand was pointing toward the kettle. His fingers slowly started to close into the shape of a fist. As he did this, the water in the kettle began to boil.

"Do you want any tea?" He asked with a smirk before carrying the kettle back into the kitchen.

"How did you do that?" I asked as I got up from the couch and took a seat at one of the bar stools.

"Merman magic." He replied, pouring the now-hot water over some tea bags in a mug.

He carried the mug over to the bar and stood across from me.

"The reason why I didn't have a tail in the water is because of some seriously powerful magic." He said as he took a sip of his tea. "Traditionally, most mermen or mermaids who come on land have to be careful not to come into contact with water. A single drop of water would make them grow a tail in as little as ten seconds. However, during this time of great adversity for our people, refugees are coming to live on land by the thousands."

"There are thousands of you?" I asked.

"Millions, tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions, now." He replied, nonchalantly.

"Anyway," he continued, "the Mermaid Council decided that the 'just add water' phenomenon was too risky. One could not live a practical life on land while being fearful of water. Thanks to improved mermaid-merman relations, a powerful spell was created to allow a mer-person to safely live on land. We can still retain all of our powers but only turn into our original form when we so desire to do so."

"How did you all get here?" I asked, now thinking of all the people that I have met. Were they mer-people, too?

"Luckily, we have powerful mermaids and men in the governments of almost every nation. Some legislation was passed and we were able to peacefully assimilate into your culture." He said, rinsing out his mug and placing it in the dishwasher.

"But what are you all running from?" I asked. "What kind of evil has forced you all onto land?"

"This is what I am trying to protect you from, Merissa." He replied, his face suddenly growing grim. "I don't want you to get involved with this any more than you already are."

"But those men wanted me, Dillon!" I said, becoming more irritated that he was refusing to tell me anything. "They asked for me specifically! Who are they and what do they want?"

"Those are very bad men." He said. Hate and rage filled his eyes. "They don't know what they are doing or the kind of power they are dealing with."

"Why me, though?" I asked, slamming my hand down on the bar. Two can play at this game.

"What do you mean, 'why, you'?" He said, looking shocked.

"I'm not a mermaid. I am just a regular girl. I have nothing to do with these 'bad men' and refugees." I said, determined to get the answers that I was seeking.

"Merissa, you are none of those things," he said, cupping my cheek in his hand, "you are their worst nightmare."

"What do you mean?" I asked, fearful of what his implications meant for my future.

"You have everything to do with these 'bad men' and refugees," he started, his bright-blue eyes peering into mine, "you are not just a regular girl."

"Dillon, what are you saying?" I asked, suddenly.

"Merissa, you are a mermaid."

I stared at him in shock. There was no way that I could possibly be a mermaid. My entire life had been incredibly, almost painfully, average. I had never grown a tail. I had never controlled water. I never even stepped foot in the ocean between the time of the accident and just now.

"Dillon, this is just too much." I said, pulling my face away from his hand and backing away from him.

"I know," he said, "this is what I was afraid of."

"I can't do anything, though." I said, examining my hands to see if they would start to form ice or boil water.

"You were put under a powerful spell when you were a baby." He said, leading me back to the couch and sitting next to me. "It was determined that you would be safest living on land as a full human. Things were not supposed to happen the way that they did. You were always supposed to have someone appointed to look after you. Some of your school teachers, track coaches, and even college professors were all mer-people. You have been surrounded by mermaids and mermen your entire life, Merissa."

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs before continuing.

"After the situation underwater got worse, I was appointed to be your personal guardian. I am supposed to protect you from all evil, be it mer-related or other."

"So you didn't ask me out because you thought that I was cute?" I asked, suddenly feeling used and hurt.

"No, I actually went against all of my orders by asking you out." He said with a smirk. "I could be cast-out if the Mermaid Council ever found out that I kissed you."

This made me giggle a bit.

"I also thought that you said you were from Tampa Bay." I said, continuing to giggle at the absurdity of the situation.

"I am from Tampa Bay," he said as he started to grin, "I'm just from the underwater Tampa Bay."

Both of us started to laugh.

"OK, all jokes aside," I said, regaining my composure, "where do we go from here?"

"We need to talk to your aunt."

* * *

 **Things are starting to get exciting! Check back every morning for more updates!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	13. Chapter 12: The Immitis

**Thank you for reading! As always, leave a review and let me know what you think! I hope you are all liking the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do, however, have a friend from Tampa Bay. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Immitis**

"My aunt and uncle are probably already asleep." I said as we walked through the front door of my house. It was quite late at night and my aunt was notorious for going to bed extra early.

To my surprise, she was still awake.

"Merissa?" I heard her call from the bedroom. "Is that you?"

"It's me, Aunt Mimmi!" I replied, locking the door behind me.

She ran out of the bedroom and threw her arms around me, pulling me close to her as if she thought she would have never held me again.

"I was so worried about you." She said into my hair. "I saw everything. It was terrible. You were so brave, my sweet girl."

"You saw everything?" I asked, suddenly confused. "Were you at the beach?"

She pulled away from me and looked at Dillon.

"We have a lot of explaining to do."

She led me over to the couch and sat down next to me. Dillon sat in the chair adjacent to us, but not before making sure all of the windows were locked and covered.

"I don't even know where to begin." She started, looking at Dillon for assistance.

"Well," he began, "like I told Merissa, she is a very special girl. She has been anything but ordinary from the time she was born."

He looked over at me and smiled.

"Your parents loved you very much." My aunt said, resting her hand on my leg. "They went to great lengths to keep you safe. All of us did."

"You were never intended to know about your home underwater." Dillon said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "The Mermaid Council thought that if we kept the granddaughter of one of the most powerful mermaids in history out of this situation then, possibly, the revolution would dissolve."

"However," my aunt interjected, "we need you now more than ever."

"Why me?" I asked, feeling completely overwhelmed and powerless. "What revolution are you talking about?"

"Hundreds of years ago," Aunt Mimmi began, "mermaids lived under a monarchy. All was peaceful in the kingdom until the mermen started to form malice towards the mermaids. One powerful merman in particular, named Malignis, created a weapon of mass destruction in the form of a trident. The trident was to be used to take all power away from the mermaids. One family stood up, however, and vanquished this revolution. The trident was locked away in a hidden chamber on a small island off the coast of Australia."

"Well, what happened to the trident?" I asked.

"It was found by your father," she replied, with a grim expression on her face. "He was the only one powerful enough to control it since his ancestors had locked it away in the first place; however, its use would have led to the destruction of the island that was home to thousands of mermaids. There was a chance that the mermaids would have even been killed."

I was in complete shock.

"After realizing the trident was a weapon of malicious intent," my aunt continued, "your father and my friends went on a mission to destroy it once and for all. One merman stood in our way, however, who had misguided intentions and a blind lust for power."

"Who was he?" I asked, intrigued.

"He was my father." Dillon replied, looking down. "He always regretted what he did and he still does. He didn't know that his actions had the potential to do so much harm."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"After the trident was destroyed once and for all, Erik ran away." My aunt replied, avoiding eye-contact with Dillon. "There was a falling-out between him and a mermaid that he really loved and cared about. To be fair, we didn't know if we could trust him anymore. He swam for miles in search of a new home. That was when he met Pravus."

"Pravus was a manipulative coward," Dillon interjected, "he still is. He was also a descendant of the group of mer-people who defeated Malignis and hid the trident."

"So he is my cousin?" I asked, revolted.

"Unfortunately," Dillon answered, "but a very distant one."

"Pravus was infuriated that his ancestors relinquished the ability to have full power over the seas." My aunt continued. "He started to form an army of merman revolutionaries and they set out in search of the trident. His squadron heard of its destruction soon after our pod returned to our island home. The army, which now called itself The Immitis, started to plan and execute attacks on pods at random as revenge. This was when mer-people refugees began to come onto land."

"My fayther was enlisted into Pravus' army as he was a valuable asset." Dillon began. "He was one of the only ones to have held and controlled the trident's moonstone. He moved up in the rankings and was destined to become a general; however, he was still in love with the girl that he met so many years before. When the time came to initiate the first attacks on the Mako Island Pod, my dad suddenly realized all of the pain that this revolution was causing. He turned on the fleet that he was supposed to be leading, killing them all and leading the mermaids of the pod to safety."

"Erik saved us all." Mimmi said, smiling atu Dillon. "That was when we decided that it would be safer for us to leave the island and find refuge with the Northern Pods. Since your Uncle Chris has never been a merman, nor will ever be one, we were both trained to fight on land. Your mother, Evie, was half-mermaid, but the Mermaid Council decided that it would be better for you to live life as a full land-girl. The less you knew about the war raging undersea, the better."

"What happened to your father?" I asked Dillon.

"He married the love of his life." He said, smiling. "She forgave him for what he had done after seeing how he risked his life to save her people. They had a beautiful wedding before coming to Tampa Bay. They are still there working with the Northern Pod mermaids to defend their homes from The Immitis. Most of the Mako Pod followed them. Your aunt's friends, David and Sirena, are the ones that helped me move onto land."

"I remember those names." I told Dillon. "I remember my mom talking about them."

"We were all the best of friends." Aunt Mimmi said, smiling. "Sirena, Evie, Ondina, and I had the best times. We were in each others' weddings. We were there when you both were born. I wish I could see them more, now, but it is all for the best."

"So where do I come into this?" I asked. "What can I do to help?"

"You have so much magic coursing through your veins, waiting to be unleashed." Aunt Mimmi said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I will teach you all of my spells and give you lessons on controlling your powers."

"I don't have any powers." I said, confused. "I was put under a spell to make me all human, or land-girl, or whatever you want to call it."

"Sweetie," Aunt Mimmi said, looking into my eyes, "I cast that spell and I can certainly reverse it."

* * *

 **Things are about to get interesting! Check back for more and let me know what you thought of the back-story!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	14. Chapter 13: Sacrifices

**As always, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think of the story so far!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own a tigerfish. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Sacrifices**

"Are you nervous?" Dillon asked me.

We were walking down the stairs to get to the utility room under my house. The room was directly under the living room of the house and right next to where we parked our cars. The top of the driveway was covered by the house. Before my parents passed, the utility room was just full of lawn tools and old knick-knacks. Apparently, Aunt Mimmi had since filled it with ingredients for potions and other relics from the sea.

"A little." I simply replied.

It was about three o'clock in the morning. I looked up into the night sky through the back of the driveway and saw the full moon and the North Star. Dillon looked back at me and took my hand in his as we walked through the doors of the room.

"Normally," my aunt said as she started to pull bowls and vials off of the shelves, "I would wait until morning to perform magic; however, we need a full moon."

"Northern Pod mermaids, like Mimmi, know the best spells and are usually the most powerful of all mermaids." Dillon said, helping her set the ingredients on a table in the center of the room. "Especially if they are the daughter of Nerissa."

I stood in the doorway of the room, admiring the hundreds of tubes and vials that lined the walls. Each vial was made of beautiful glass that sparkled under the lightbulb in the center of the utility room. The vials were all neatly labeled with exotic names like "red coral extract" and "ambergris".

"Can you hand me that vial to your right?" Aunt Mimmi asked, pointing to an orange vial with the label "Tigerfish Egg Concentrate".

I carefully handed her the vial and she put it on the table in front of her. I shut the door to the room and walked next to Dillon so that I was facing my aunt.

"This," she said, pointing to the orange vial, "turned out to be the secret ingredient all along. The tigerfish eggs contain a powerful substance that gives mer-people the ability to control their transformations. It was the major game-changer during the refugee crisis."

"Does The Immitis know about the secret ingredient?" I asked, looking at the small orange container.

"Not yet." She replied, holding up the vial to look at it. "I am one of only a few people to know what this is and how to obtain it. In order for it to remain a secret, vials are mass-produced from pre-harvested samples. The vials are then shipped around the world in unlabeled containers."

"This is why those two goon on the pier turned into mermen as soon as I got them wet." Dillon said.

"I hadn't even noticed their tails." I said in shock. In my defense, it was dark on the pier; however, it explains why they were both unable to get up.

"Do you want to be the one to make the potion?" Aunt Mimmi asked as she finalized the arrangement of the ingredients.

"Really?" I asked, surprised that she trusted me with such a daunting task.

"Absolutely!" She said, beckoning me to join her on the other side of the table. "Consider this your first lesson.

"Before we start," she said to Dillon, "would you mind handing me that seashell box behind you?"

Dillon handed the box across the table. She opened it to reveal two rings identical to the one that I found in the water.

"Where did you get these?" I asked in disbelief. I never thought that I would see that ring again.

"One of them is mine," she said, placing one of the rings on her right index finger, "and the other one is yours."

She took my hand to slide the ring onto my finger. It fit as perfectly as it did on the day that I first found it.

"These are moonrings." She said, admiring the ring on my finger. "They harvest and store moonlight to be used in times of need."

She turned off the overhead light, allowing moonlight to flood into the room through a small window near the ceiling. The rings instantly began to glow, shining bright blue light throughout the room. She turned the light back on and adjusted the ingredients in front of her.

"Let's get to work," she said, "we don't have much time left."

She instructed me to carefully add all of the ingredients one-by-one into a large mortar. Some of the substances included wakame kelp power, anemone toxin, and Humboldt squid ink. After I combined all of the ingredients together with a pestle, it was time to add the tigerfish egg concentrate.

"You have to be extremely careful with this." My aunt said as she handed me the vial. "If you add too little then the potion will be completely ineffective."

"What happens if I add too much?" I asked as I carefully took the cork out of the top.

"Don't worry about that." She said, with a look of concern on her face.

She handed me an eye-dropper and told me to put in exactly three drops. I could feel my hands shaking.

I slowly added the first purple-tinted drop to the black potion. As soon as the concentrate dissolved into the mixture, the potion went from being black to silver.

"What just happened?" I asked, taking a step back from the table with the dropper in one hand and the vial in another.

"That's good," my aunt said, "the color change means that it's working. Go ahead and add two more drops."

I carefully added another drop to the mixture and watched the color change from silver to gold.

"This is so cool." Dillon said as he looked into the mortar.

I added the final drop and watched the color change once more from gold to bronze.

"Perfect!" Aunt Mimmi said as I put the vial back on the table. "You did an amazing job, Merissa!"

"Really?" I replied, still shaking a bit.

"You are going to make an amazing student." She said sincerely while putting away some vials.

"What happens now?" Dillon asked as he helped her put away the ingredients.

"Now," she said as she turned off the light, "we add magic."

"You need to put the potion on areas of the body where the flow of blood is most accessible in relation to the skin." She said, pulling out two small paintbrushes from a drawer. "Meaning that it needs to go onto the sides and back of your neck, your wrists, and the insides of your knees and elbows. This allows the magic to be better able to get into your vessels."

I got up and laid on the table with my knees slightly bent and the insides of my arms facing up. Aunt Mimmi handed a paintbrush to Dillon and they went to work. Luckily, my hair was still in a ponytail so they were able to easily access my neck.

"How do you feel?" She asked as she painted the mixture on my wrists.

"I feel OK," I replied, "it is a little cold though and kind of stings."

"That is because of the anemone toxin." She said as she moved up to my elbows. "It will fade away shortly."

I lifted my head slightly so that Dillon would be able to easily reach the back of my neck. He was so focused on spreading the potion on just right. It was kind of cute.

After they both spread the remaining potion on the backs of my knees, it was time to do magic.

The full moon had been illuminating the entire room, making both the vials and moonrings sparkle in its light. Even though I was surrounded by people who cared about me and in a safe place, I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

I suddenly sat up.

"I don't think I can do this." I said, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"What do you mean?" My aunt asked as fear and concern washed over her face.

"This is just too much," I said, feeling myself start to shake. "Everything was normal twelve hours ago. Since then, I have almost been killed and learned that I am part of an undersea war. Now, I am about to turn into a mermaid with magic that I don't understand. This is just too much at one time. I'm scared."

I felt my throat starting to close up out of shock and fear.

"Hey," Dillon said, coming right next to me and putting his hand on mine, "I know you are scared and I know that you are overwhelmed. This is something that is very scary for all of us and we wouldn't be here if we had the choice. I promise you, though, that I will be by your side through all of it. We will teach you everything you need to know. You are surrounded by people who love you unconditionally and will support you no matter what. You are the strongest person I have ever met, Merissa, and you are the only person I know who has overcome so many obstacles in their life only to come back with more courage. Find your courage, now."

His words never failed to bring me back to state of peace. Even though this was a new challenge, I have faced many of them before. I knew what I had to do. This was for my parents and Mimmi and Dillon and Erik and all those who came before me to make sacrifices for those that they cared about.

I laid back down on the table.

"I'm ready."

* * *

 **Hooray for cliffhangers! Stay tuned and thank you for reading!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	15. Chapter 14: Nothing But Water

**As always, thank you for all of your support! I hope you are enjoying the story and leave a review if you want!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do, however, own an orthopedic boot because I have tendinitis (ouch). All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Nothing But Water**

"You might feel a tingling sensation." Aunt Mimmi said as she held her moonring up to the window, allowing it to absorb as much light as possible.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly in an attempt to calm my nerves. Dillon was holding my hand and making little circles with his thumb to try and relax me.

"Are you ready?" She asked, turning towards me. Her ring was glowing brighter than I have ever seen. It was full of magic ready to be unleashed.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied.

Dillon let go of my hand and took a step back away from the table. I closed my eyes and took one more deep breath before my transformation began.

I felt a cold chill start in my toes and slowly move up my legs.

"How are you feeling?" Dillon asked.

"I'm OK." I replied, focusing on the more intense tingling sensation that was centered on the back of my knees.

I felt the chill spread father up, eventually reaching my upper torso and spreading out to my arms.

It was then that I decided to open my eyes, only to see that from my torso down was nothing but water. The outline of my body was still there, but my skin had been replaced by blue waves. The light of the moonring was almost blinding as its beams danced through the water and were reflected off the multi-colored vials. I inhaled sharply out of shock and astonishment.

"You're doing great," I heard Dillon say in response to my inhale, "close your eyes."

I closed my eyes again just as the tingling sensation grew to be more powerful on my neck, wrists, and inner arms. The chill engulfed my entire body for a moment before relaxing into a comforting warmth.

"It's done." I heard my aunt say.

I immediately sat up, rubbing my legs and being thankful that they had returned to their solid form.

"Did it work?" I asked, looking at my aunt who appeared to be exhausted.

"It takes about twelve hours before the magic will be fully activated." She replied, putting away the last of the items that were used to make the potion.

I looked down at my arms to see that the metallic bronze potion had disappeared. It had probably dissolved into my bloodstream during the time that I was made of water, which was an image that I couldn't shake from my mind.

"You need to be extremely careful tomorrow." She said, leaning on the table. "You are more powerful than you know and you won't know how to control your powers when you get them."

"I will take good care of her," Dillon said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "It is supposed to storm all day anyways, so maybe we will have a day in."

"That would be perfect," I said, crossing my legs, "especially after a crazy day like today."

"Mimmi," Dillon said, turning to my aunt, "would you mind me sleeping over tonight? I would feel much better if I could be here to help keep you both safe, especially after the attack earlier this evening."

"That would be a wise choice." My aunt said, yawning. "You can sleep in the guest room across from Merissa's."

"Thank you," he said, lightly squeezing my shoulder, "how about we get some sleep?"

We all slowly, in a tired haze, walked up the stairs and into the house.

My aunt said goodnight to us as she walked into her bedroom. Dillon and I walked upstairs and got ready for bed. He checked to make sure that all of the windows in my room were locked and covered while I was brushing my teeth. As I walked in the room I saw him looking at the picture of me and my parents.

"I know how hard all this must be for you." He said, still admiring the photograph.

"It is hard," I said, sitting on my bed, "but I actually feel like things will start to get easier. Obviously, all of the magic has thrown me for a loop; but, in a strange way, I feel like my life is starting to make more sense."

"You are exactly right." He said, turning towards me. "It will be challenging at times for both of us, but we have each other."

"Goodnight, Dillon." I said as he began to walk out of the room.

"Goodnight, Merissa." He replied, blowing me a kiss before closing the door behind him.

I got into bed and thought about the entirety of the day. I met Dillon for the first time this morning. I went on a date with him this evening. I told him my life story. I swam for the first time in a year and a half after nearly avoiding being kidnapped by ruthless mermen. I learned about both my past and my future before being turned into a mermaid. While I was still both shocked and terrified of what had happened and what was in store, I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for more!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	16. Chapter 15: Waffles

**Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think of the story in a review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own the "Lean Cuisine" brand. I do, however, own a lot of Lean Cuisines and they are taking up way too much room in my freezer. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Waffles**

I was underwater.

Rays of moonlight pierced through the pitch-black waves. A clap of thunder followed a bolt of lightning that illuminated the undersea world. I was surrounded by tails of bronze and blue. Pouring rain danced on top of the current, creating microscopic ripples that reflected the chaos underneath. More lightning darted across the sky to reveal that the water surrounding me was red. I heard screaming.

I woke up to the sound of thunder.

I was dripping in sweat and sitting straight up in my bed, clutching my pillow so tightly that my knuckles were white. The digital clock on my nightstand told me that it was six in the morning. I had only been asleep for two hours before being awoken from the nightmare.

A flash of lightning poured its light into my room, startling me. I could hear pouring rain hitting the roof in an almost deafening way. The boom of thunder soon followed with enough force to shake the house.

"It was just a dream." I told myself as I tried to slow my breathing.

All of a sudden, the door to my room flew open so quickly that it threatened to come off the hinges.

I screamed and hid behind my pillow.

"Merissa?" I heard Dillon say in a frantic tone.

I lowered the pillow to find him staring at me. He was holding a softball bat in such a way that could deliver a powerful swing.

"Dillon," I said as I held my hand to my chest, only to feel my heart racing, "what are you doing?"

"I heard screaming," he said, looking slightly embarrassed and lowering the softball bat, "I thought that someone was hurting you."

"I was just having a bad dream." I said, realizing that the screaming that I heard in my sleep must have been my own.

"Are you ok?" He asked. He leaned the bat against the wall and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eyes, "I think it was just because of the stress yesterday."

"Alright," he said, placing his hand on my ankle. "If you want to talk, just let me know."

"Thank you." I said, trying to mask the terror that lingered from my nightmare.

"It's still pretty early," he said, standing up from the bed, "I will let you go back to sleep if you want."

"It's OK," I said, pulling the covers off of my legs, "I'm wide-awake now. We can make some breakfast."

"That would be wonderful." He said, retrieving his trusty softball bat. "I'm still trying to master land-food."

"What have you been eating this entire time?" I said, laughing and remembering that he had been living on land for close to a month now. He must have moved in early so that could get acclimated to life on land before I arrived. His whole life was based around mine and I didn't know how to feel about that.

"These things called 'Lean Cuisine'." He replied with a grimace on his face. "They tasted fine at first, but after a while they all taste the same."

"Trust me," I said, chuckling at his naivety, "I know. I lived off of Lean Cuisine back at State. They are too convenient to pass up."

"If you teach me how to be a human," he said, "then I will teach you how to be a mermaid."

"Deal." I said, extending my hand to shake.

Dillon took my hand, shook it, and pulled me up from the bed.

"Your first lesson will be in the art of breakfast-making," I said as I opened my closet and put on a sweatshirt, "specifically, the art of making waffles."

"I am ready to learn, teacher!" Dillon said enthusiastically. "Let me just put this bat away, first."

"Where did you get that from?" I asked, laughing.

"I found it in the closet in the guest bedroom." He said, laughing and walking out of my bedroom.

I remembered that my uncle played on his company's softball league in the spring. The bat was probably just in storage.

We headed downstairs to find my uncle reading his newspaper on the couch.

"Good morning, Merissa." He said, not looking up from the article he was focusing on.

"Good morning!" Dillon and I replied in unison.

My uncle suddenly put down the newspaper and stared at Dillon.

"Dillon, what are you doing here?" He said, looking both shocked and angry.

"She knows everything, Chris." Dillon said, shrugging.

My uncle's eyes shot toward me.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine." I said, leaning against the nearby wall. "Well, actually, I guess we will find out in about nine hours."

"You already changed her?" My uncle asked Dillon.

"We didn't really have a choice." He replied. "This war is getting out of hand and we need her."

"You would think that after knowing about mermaids for years that I would be used to it. I am the Vice President of one of the largest marine conservation organizations in the world, but this is the one part of the ocean that I haven't been able to wrap my mind around. All of this mermaid stuff was always way beyond me." My uncle said, returning to his paper.

"Trust me," I said, turning to walk toward the kitchen, "I feel the same way."

"What do you have planned for today?" Uncle Chris asked as I started to take the flour and sugar out of the pantry.

"Since Dillon is going to teach me how to be a mermaid," I said, pulling out a bowl, "I am going to teach him how to be a human. His first lesson is on human food."

"Good luck with that," my uncle said, folding his paper and getting up from the couch, "I taught him how to drive. Hopefully breakfast will be less terrifying."

"Sorry." Dillon said sheepishly as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"I'll let you two kids have fun." My uncle said. "I am going to the inland office today so I won't be back until past dinner."

"Love you!" I called as he put on his raincoat.

"Love you, too!" He said as he grabbed his umbrella and briefcase and headed down the stairs.

"Did he really teach you how to drive?" I asked Dillon as soon as my uncle shut the door.

"Yes," he said, laughing, "although I was a fast learner, I don't think he will ever get in the car with me again."

We laughed over his struggle as I got out the last of the ingredients to make waffles.

"Now," I said as I placed a bowl in front of him, "get ready to learn how to make real food."

I had Dillon mix all of the ingredients in the large bowl while I got down the waffle iron. I plugged it in to allow it to warm up only to catch Dillon licking the batter off of the spoon.

"This already tastes so good." He said. "Do we really have to cook it?"

"Yes!" I said, laughing and pulling the bowl away from him. "Trust me, it will taste even better when they are warm and covered in syrup."

I put the bowl next to the waffle iron as Dillon walked over to join me.

"All we have to do now," I said, handing him a ladle, "is to pour the waffle batter into the iron."

He looked at the ladle in confusion, put it on the counter, and held up his hand. I saw a sphere of batter start to rise from the bowl.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, grabbing the ladle from the counter and smacking his hand. The sphere came crashing down, causing batter to fly everywhere.

"It is so much cleaner this way." He said, looking at the batter on the counter and cabinet doors. "Or at least it was."

"Humans use ladles when cooking." I said, shoving the ladle back in his hand.

He grudgingly took the ladle and spooned some batter into the waffle iron. After repeating the process a few times, we ended up making a whole stack of waffles.

"How do you like them?" I asked Dillon as he took his first syrup-covered bite.

"These are so much better than frozen food." He replied, practically shoveling waffle into his mouth.

"Do you want anything to drink?" I asked, opening the refrigerator and taking out the jug of orange juice.

Dillon nodded his head enthusiastically, unable to speak due to a full mouth.

I poured two glasses of orange juice and put the jug back in the fridge. When I went to grab the glasses they shot away from my hands. I tried to reach for them again, only to have the glasses fall into the sink.

"Hey, Dillon?" I said, looking down at my hands in disbelief.

"Mmm?" I heard him mumble, inferring that it was full-mouth-speak for "what".

With great concentration, I imitated Dillon's hand movement from before. I carefully started to pull some of the orange juice from the sink until it formed a perfect sphere above my hand.

I turned around to show him my new talent.

"I think I like being a mermaid."

* * *

 **This was just a cute little chapter! Will Merissa be able to control her new powers? Stay tuned for more!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	17. Chapter 16: Transform

**Thank you so so so much for reading! All of the support I have received is amazing and so encouraging. As always, leave a review if you want to!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own The Little Mermaid (but I used to own it on VHS). All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Transform**

"I didn't think that you were supposed to get powers until a few hours from now." Dillon said, putting down his fork.

"I didn't either." I said as I carefully lowered the juice back into the sink.

"I guess you are just more powerful than we thought that you were." He said, taking his plate to the sink to be rinsed off.

"I guess so." I replied, suddenly eager to see all that I could do.

We rinsed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, making sure that we didn't leave batter anywhere. The storm was still terrible outside, occasionally lighting up the inside of the house or rattling the furniture. Our only option was to stay indoors and, seeing that it was only eight in the morning, we had a whole day ahead of us.

Dillon and I were sitting on the couch and watching a morning talk show when my aunt came out of her bedroom.

"Good morning, you two." She said with a yawn.

"Good morning, Aunt Mimmi!" I said, getting up from the couch to run towards the kitchen. "Guess what happened."

I walked towards the sink and filled up a glass of water. I put it on the counter and took a deep breath, allowing myself to focus. Both Dillon and my aunt were watching me, waiting to see what would happen next.

I carefully moved my hands to create a levitating sphere of water, eventually bringing it to my mouth to drink.

"Tada!" I said, taking a mini-bow.

"I didn't think you were supposed to have powers until a few hours from now." Aunt Mimmi said, looking at the clock to confirm her judgement.

"Dillon said the same thing," I said, twisting the moonring that was on my finger and realizing that I hadn't taken it off that night, "but I guess I am just more powerful than we thought."

"This is incredible." She said, still in complete shock. "Most mermaids aren't able to control their powers this well until after a lot of practice."

"Well, we can spend all day training." I said, taking a sip of water from the glass. "I know that I was really apprehensive about this whole thing, but now I just want to be the best mermaid I can be. I really want to be able to help."

"You are just like your parents." My aunt said, laughing. "Always ambitious and a bit stubborn. It must run in the family."

My aunt made a cup of coffee while Dillon and I went upstairs to change out of our pajamas. I put on a flowy white tank-top and some jean shorts, made my bed, and brushed my teeth. I looked out the window to see that the clouds were starting to lighten up, leaving behind rain but taking away the thunder and lightning.

We came back downstairs to see my aunt with three bowls of water in front of her. She was standing behind the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room with coffee still in hand. She was already dressed for the day, however, and had her shoulder-length brown hair perfectly curled into loose waves. She was wearing a black shirt with a daisy on it that was paired with white capris. She had aged gracefully and knew how to dress for her age.

"Welcome to your first training session." She said, setting her coffee on the counter.

Dillon took his place next to her so that they were both facing me.

"This first lesson will allow you to practice controlling the various properties of water." She continued, motioning to the bowls in front of her. "You have already learned how to manipulate water, now you will learn how to freeze, heat, and gelatinize it."

"You need to concentrate." Dillon said as I raised my hand in front of the first bowl. "Just focus on what you want and allow it to be so."

I slowly made my fingers into the shape of a fist, imitating the motion that I had seen Dillon make the night before when he was heating the kettle. Sure enough, the water in the bowl began to boil.

"Impressive." My aunt said, looking up at me. "Now let's move on to freezing."

I held out my hand in such a way that mimicked what Dillon did on the pier when he froze the two men. The water in the bowl instantly froze solid.

"You're doing great." Dillon said, tapping his finger on the ice.

My final challenge was to turn the water into gelatin. This task took a bit more time since I had not seen it done before. I eventually mastered it, however, and was able to harden the gelatin into a crystalline substance. I turned all of the water bowls back to normal before pouring their contents down the drain.

"I am so proud of you, Merissa." My aunt said as she dried off the last bowl. "Before you learn how to use any more of your powers, I think that you need to learn to transform."

I stopped in my tracks. Playing with water was fun and amusing, but actually turning into a full-fledged mermaid made things seem more serious. While I wanted to do everything possible to help those that I cared about, the idea of growing a tail still seemed to be overwhelming.

I realized, however, that I was a mermaid. I had never really been a "land-girl" and underwater was where I was always meant to be.

"Let's do it." I said.

We walked over to the couch and I sat down, leaning against the arm-rest and spreading my legs out on the cushions. My aunt and Dillon stood next to me.

"Just close your eyes and concentrate on being a mermaid." My aunt said.

I closed my eyes and thought of myself with a tail to the best of my ability. I peeked my eyes open to see to legs looking back at me.

"It didn't work." I said, becoming a bit discouraged.

"Try again, really concentrate." My aunt said, looking pensive.

I closed my eyes again and imagined my legs turning into a single fin. Scenes from _The Little Mermaid_ danced through my head as I tried to envision what I would look like with a tail.

I peeked my eyes open again to find myself completely tail-less.

"Maybe I'm broken." I said, slumping down on the couch.

Dillon stepped up next to me and got on his knees.

"Close your eyes," he said, "imagine that you are underwater. The ocean is calm and warm and as blue as anything. You are swimming above a coral reef. You see schools of fish swimming around you. Schools of angel fish and clown fish. The flora is gracefully moving with the current, swaying back and forth."

I started to feel what he was describing, as if I was almost in the water itself.

"You feel at home and you feel free." He continued, moving closer towards me. "You see a pod of dolphins and swim to catch up with them, feeling the water move through your hair and down your sides. A flick of your tail sends you gliding through the water. You are at home."

I was feeling everything he was saying. The movement of the water, the power in my swimming, all of it. The sea was my oyster and I was its pearl.

"Open your eyes." He whispered.

I bat my eyes open to see a shimmering bronze tail where my legs used to be. I moved the tip of the fin to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating, only to see it undulate at my command. My breasts were covered with bronze scales that wrapped around my neck and upper back. Although I could see it with my own two eyes, I was in disbelief as to what I had become.

"You look beautiful, Merissa." Dillon said as he stood up.

"I did it!" I exclaimed, lightly placing my fingers on the scales of my new tail. They were smooth like glass and just as beautiful, but the muscles underneath felt powerful.

"Thank you, Dillon." I said, looking up at him.

"To change back," my aunt started, looking incredibly pleased with my progress, "all you have to do is imagine yourself in human form."

I closed my eyes and imagined my new tail being replaced by my familiar legs. The transformation back to human form was certainly easier, but not necessarily as welcome.

Now that I had experienced what it was like to be a mermaid, all I wanted was to be in the water. I knew that swimming in the ocean would be a risk, though, especially since The Immitis had already made their presence known here.

I stood up from the couch, shaking out my legs and hugging both Dillon and Aunt Mimmi.

"Where do we go from here?" I asked, excited to see what was to come.

"Probably more training," Aunt Mimmi said, "you have a lot to master."

"At this rate, though," Dillon added, "you'll be a pro in no time."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! What will happen now that Merissa is a mermaid? Stay tuned for more!**

 **- _Crispin Robb_**


	18. Chapter 17: Saved

**Thank you so much for reading and for your continued support! I love being able to share this story with you all. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own hot pink running shoes. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Saved**

"The sun is coming out." I said, peeking out of the living room window.

Dillon was sitting on the couch which had since been covered in plastic garbage bags. About twenty bowls of water surrounded him. They were in all different shapes and sizes, ranging from Tupperware containers to large serving bowls. Glasses of water covered the end tables while the metal bowl from the stand-mixer sat in the middle of the coffee table. Aunt Mimmi would not be happy to come home to this.

I had spent all morning and afternoon working to master my powers. Since this task proved to be quite wet and messy, precautions in the form of plastic bags and saran wrap were taken to save the furniture. My aunt went to run some errands and shop around town and left Dillon to continue my training; however, he didn't feel like using the same bowls of water for each task. His "simple" solution was to bring as much water as physically possible into the living room.

"Move the water from the blender into this glass." He deadpanned. He raised an empty plastic tumbler with one hand while continuing to flip through channels with the other.

I slumped myself into a nearby chair with a squeak due to its protective layers of plastic. Without even thinking about it, I moved the water from the blender on the floor into the cup in Dillon's hand. Not one drop spilled.

"Perfect." He said without expression as his eyes remained on the screen. "Now add ice cubes."

"Dillon, I'm not your servant." I said, my legs squeaking against the cling-wrap as I sat forward in the chair.

"Do you want to master your powers or not?" He asked, turning only his head to look at me. He could not have been more slouched down in the couch.

"Fine." I mumbled.

I moved my hand to pull a small sphere of water from a coffee mug. I divided it into four smaller spheres and froze them just before dropping the ice into his glass.

"Refreshing." He said as he took a sip.

I suddenly stood up and knocked the drink out of his hand using my powers.

"What was that for?" He asked, sitting up from the shock of being doused with ice water.

"Oh, calm down." I giggled as I looked out the window. I put my hand behind my back and used it to slowly dry him off.

"Dillon, we have been locked in here all day." I said as I started to pace around the room, careful to avoid the bowls and cups and buckets that surrounded me.

"You said that you wanted to master your powers." He said, returning his focus to the television.

"But I have mastered my powers!" I rebutted, picking up a sphere of water from an old soup can and bouncing it between my hands like a ball. "I can heat water, freeze water, move water, gelatinize water, and crystalize water."

I put the ball of water into a nearby mason jar before continuing.

"I can become invisible." I said, waving my hand in front of my body to disappear from sight. "I can make a weather system. I can levitate objects and make fire."

I re-appeared and slumped down in the chair with an even more noticeable squeak than before.

"I can even turn into a mermaid and turn back without an issue." I had mastered the art of transforming so quickly that I barely had to think about it now.

"Cool." Dillon said plainly as his focused remained on the rainbow of channels that was flashing by.

"What more do you want from me?" I shouted, covering my face with my palms out of boredom and frustration.

Dillon clicked the TV off and turned to look at me.

"Merissa," he said, "you are never going to fully master your powers. I haven't fully mastered my powers. Practice makes perfect, though, and I want you to be fully prepared for whatever may happen. Besides, there is a lot that we haven't even gone over yet."

"There's more?" I asked in disbelief. I crossed my legs in the chair and turned to look out the window again. Squeak.

"There is a lot more." He replied as he got off the couch and took a nearby pitcher to the sink. "Your moonring adds power that is significantly greater than what you are in control of right now."

"Do you have a moonring?" I asked as I created a small cloud between my hands. I had always been a bit hyperactive and having powers was not going to help.

"I do." He said, pulling a small rope out from under his shirt that had a ring attached to it. He pulled the rope around his head and tossed me the necklace. The ring fell through my cloud and into my awaiting palms.

This ring was bulkier than the traditional moonring, however, and could be considered to be more masculine. It looked like a class ring that was made of silver with rugged fishtails on both sides of the radiant blue moonstone. An engraving on the inside of the ring resembled a trident that was broken into two pieces.

"What is this?" I asked as I carefully examined the engraving.

Dillon walked over and sat on the arm rest of the chair. He leaned in to get a closer look.

"It's a promise." He said, smiling softly. "It is on the inside of every merman's moonring as a memorial to those who came before us. The broken trident is a symbol of peace and a constant reminder to always use our powers for good."

"That's really nice." I said, looking up at him and placing the ring in his palm.

He put the rope around his head and tucked the ring back under his shirt.

"Why do you wear it on a necklace?" I asked as I stood up to start putting dishes away.

"Did you feel how heavy this thing is?" He replied, laughing. "It feels like I have a brick on my finger. The merman version is great and all, but there have been days where I would rather opt for the more compact size."

We both started laughing as we cleaned up the living room. We dumped all of the water down the sink and used our powers to heat-dry the dishes. After putting them all away we unwrapped the furniture and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion.

"Where is your aunt?" Dillon asked, looking at the clock. "She has been gone practically all afternoon."

"She went out shopping." I replied. There were few things that Aunt Mimmi loved to do more than shop.

"Oh." He said, plainly.

"Can we please go outside?" I asked, turning toward him and showcasing my best pout. "There are only two clouds in the sky and the weather is perfect now. I will be extra careful and you will be there to keep me safe. We can just go for a quick jog along the beach."

He took a moment to contemplate my proposal. I stared at him with puppy-dog eyes throughout the entirety of his internal deliberation.

"Fine," he finally answered, "but only a quick jog. I'll run by my place to get changed and meet you downstairs in five minutes."

"Thank you!" I cheered, wrapping my arms around his neck as we both stood up from the couch.

I put on my running shorts and a tank top before lacing up my hot-pink shoes. I hadn't gone for a jog in a week and it was seriously weighing on me. I was ready to have a good runner's high.

I met Dillon downstairs and stretched a bit before taking off. We jogged to the end of the street and onto the boardwalk. We ran up the dunes and were instantly hit by the salty sea air. The weather was perfect for a jog as it was not too hot or too cold. The sun was just setting and the dune crickets sang in perfect harmony with the sound of the waves.

The beach was empty, giving us all the room in the world to pound our feet against the sand.

"I'll race you to the next boardwalk!" Dillon said, suddenly taking off in front of me.

"Not fair, fish-boy!" I shouted, chasing after him.

I was just about to reach him when I was suddenly grabbed from behind.

"Dillon!" I shouted, looking down to see two strong arms wrapped around my waist.

Dillon turned around with a look of terror in his eyes. He began to run toward me as I elbowed my attacker in the solar plexus, a move that I had learned in a self-defense class. My captor released me and clutched his stomach. I backed away from him and raised my hand to defend myself.

Before I could do anything, however, a huge wave came from the ocean. The powerful current of water surrounded the man and pulled him into the sea with astonishing force.

"I didn't do that." I whispered with my hand still in front of me.

"I didn't, either." Dillon said, looking out to the water in shock.

It was then that I saw a blue fin in the distance flip up and disappear into the water. The fin was too far out to belong to my attacker. There had to be another merman.

"Let's get out of here." Dillon said, placing his hand on my back to turn me from the ocean.

I reluctantly jogged up the beach behind him, occasionally turning to try and see if I could see anything else in the water. We ran over the dunes and onto the boardwalk, through the neighborhood, and eventually up my driveway.

"What happened back there?" Dillon asked, trying to catch his breath.

"I don't know." I said, wiping my forehead with my shirt. "I felt that goon grab me so I hit him. I was going to finish him off but someone else beat me to it."

"What do you mean 'someone else'?" He asked, leaning against one of the stilts that the house rested on.

"Well, if you didn't cause that wave and I didn't cause that wave, then who did?" I replied.

"Our reinforcements aren't stationed in this area." Dillon mused, bringing his foot behind him in order to stretch out his quad. "We thought that a heavy military presence would compromise the secrecy of our location."

"Someone was out there, Dillon," I said, turning to face towards the sea, "and that someone saved me."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Who saved Merissa? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	19. Chapter 18: Something Like That

**Thank you so much for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think about the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do, however, have an affinity for tuna steaks. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Something Like That**

After changing out of our running attire, Dillon and I helped my aunt make dinner. Dillon was outside with Mimmi as they grilled some tuna steaks for the three of us. I was inside preparing some mango salsa and a side of cilantro-lime rice.

The dinner looked and smelled delicious. Not surprisingly, it tasted even better than it looked. We sat around the table, listening to Aunt Mimmi tell stories of when her friends and my parents would get into all sorts of mischief. Dillon talked about his time in Florida and how he would sometimes go on land to by candy from a gas station as a treat. Overall, dinner was filled with laughter, great stories, and even better company.

My uncle came through the door as we were cleaning up.

"Welcome home, honey!" My aunt said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "We have leftovers if you want any."

"That's OK," he said as he loosened his neck tie. "I grabbed a quick bite before coming home."

"How was your training day?" He enthusiastically asked as he sat down at the bar.

"It was great," Dillon replied, "I learned how to grill."

"And I started the grill." I interjected. I snapped my fingers in such a way as to make a flame appear above my thumb.

My aunt came up behind me and blew out my finger.

"Merissa, do you remember what I said?" She asked, sounding annoyed.

"No fire in the house." We said in unison.

We finished cleaning the kitchen and collectively decided to go to bed early. We each had long days that needed to be slept off. Dillon and I went upstairs and into our respective rooms after saying goodnight.

Sleep came almost immediately as I relaxed into the warm blankets and soft pillows.

I began to dream.

I was suddenly underwater again.

The waves were calm and warm. I was in the middle of what seemed to be a drop-off. The ocean floor was impossible to see. The navy waves that were illuminated by the light of the moon faded into pitch-black as the water got deeper and deeper. I heard screaming in the distance. The noise was so faint that it almost sounded like a whisper of terror and fury.

"Where do you think you're going?" A booming voice from behind me said.

I turned around to see a menacing face glaring at me. His eyes were the only feature that stood out in the darkness due to their supernatural light-blue glow. His skin was pale as a ghost's with jet-black hair that moved in the current. Every bone in his jaw was angled and sharp.

He reared a muscular arm behind him and punched me in the face.

Everything went black before I woke up in terror. I was sitting straight up in my bed and clutching my pillow. My breathing was almost as rapid as my heartrate.

I didn't have much time to recover from my nightmare since it was already nine in the morning and I was going to be late for work.

I quickly put on a pair of white shorts and a mint-green tank top. I accessorized with gold earrings, a gold necklace, and a pair of gold sandals. After putting on some makeup and grabbing a bite to eat, I ran out the door and headed to Sunbeams.

"Happy Monday!" Julia exclaimed as I rushed through the door.

"I am so sorry, Jules." I said as I went to place my purse in the back office. "I promise that I will never be late again."

"Honey-bun," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me from rushing around the store, "I think that I was able to manage on my own. You are only ten minutes late and we haven't even had a customer come in yet."

"I'm sorry," I said, chuckling, "I guess I'm just a little high-strung."

"Anything you want to talk about?" She asked, taking a seat on the stool behind the counter.

I paused. Julia was my best friend and I didn't want to lie to her; however, I also wanted to keep her safe. I didn't want to put her in danger by sharing my biggest secret. For the sake of her and for the sake of everyone else, I couldn't tell her that I was a mermaid.

"No," I replied, twisting my moonring around my finger, "nothing to talk about."

"Cute ring!" She said, taking my hand in hers. I was so thankful for her short attention span in that moment.

"Thank you!" I replied, admiring the way that the moonstone reflected the sunlight. "It's from Australia. They were really popular when my mom was growing up and I found it in my jewelry box the other day. I thought that it matched my shirt so I wore it."

"It's super cute." She said, opening up the latest addition of Meditation Monthly. Julia loved to do yoga in her free time.

"How was your date with lover-boy?" She asked as she flipped through the glossy pages of the magazine.

"It was wonderful!" I said before I started to gush all of the details of our date, or at least the details that I could share.

"Then we went for a jog while the sun set and came back to have a delicious dinner at my house." I finished.

"Wow." She said, resting her chin in her hand. She put down her magazine as she became enthralled with the details of the weekend. "Your relationship sounds perfect already."

"Something like that." I mumbled under my breath.

"So are you two official?" She asked.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, absent-mindedly playing with the jewelry on a rack.

"Did he ask you to be his girlfriend?" She asked, articulating each word as if I didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"Not yet." I replied, holding up a pair of earrings to the side of my face. "We have only gone on one date."

"But you spent the entire weekend together!" She said, becoming increasingly animated. "That boy is probably head-over-heels and beyond intimidated by you."

"I don't know," I said, "I haven't had a semi-serious relationship since sophomore year of high school and even that was just a track season fling. Sure, I have been on a ton of dates but I just don't know if Dillon likes me that much or not."

"I don't know why he wouldn't like you." She said, casually picking up her magazine. "You are so powerful."

"What?" I asked, suddenly turning toward her. How had she found out about my abilities?

"I've been reading this study about how it is more uplifting to compliment people on their talents and personality traits rather than their looks." She said, still looking at the magazine. "You are powerful, Merissa. You have overcome so many odds to be who you are today."

"What kinds of odds?" I asked, feeling my heart start to race.

"You know," she said, looking at me like I had three heads, "you lost your parents but you came back stronger than ever. You got a free ride to college and have a perfect GPA in nursing school. You won the track state championships in your event. Dillon should respect everything you have been through and realize how powerful you are."

"Right." I said, breathing a sigh of relief that my secret was still safe.

"Speak of the devil." Julia said as the door opened and Dillon walked in.

He was wearing his life-guarding uniform: a pair of red swim trunks with a white tank top. A red hat with a white cross on it covered his blonde hair.

"Hey!" I said, walking over to him and giving him a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my lunch break and wanted to make sure you got to work OK." He said, looking around the store. "I didn't hear you get up this morning."

"That's because I didn't get up until nine." I laughed, taking his hand and bringing him over to the counter where Julia was.

Sunbeams was just down the street from the main lifeguard station. I appreciated Dillon coming to check on me, even if it made me feel a bit guilty that I was causing him so much stress.

"Dillon," I said, "meet Julia. When she isn't my manager she is practically my older sister."

"Aw, Issa!" Julia said, reaching out to shake Dillon's hand. She had called me "Issa" as a pet-name ever since I was born.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She said to Dillon. "I have heard nothing but wonderful things."

"Nice to meet you, as well." He said, trying to hide his blush.

"I better get back to work." He said, turning to walk out the door. "I'm glad you're OK and I will see you later."

"See you!" I said as he left.

"Issa!" Julie shouted, hitting my arm with her magazine. "He is hot! Can you find me one?"

We both laughed and returned to work. A few customers came in to look around. Most of them were tourists that were taking a break from the sun, sand, and surf to enjoy some retail therapy.

After a long Monday, it was time to close up.

"Hey, Jules." I said as I swept the floor.

"Yeah?"

"You love me no matter what, right?" I asked, looking up at her.

"Of course I do." She replied, meeting my gaze with concern and confusion in her eyes.

"OK." I said, looking down. "Just making sure."

I rode my bike home and reflected on my day. I wanted to tell Julia everything about me and Dillon, not just the normal parts of our weekend. She was my best friend and I didn't want to lose her trust by not sharing such a major part of my life. I realized that I needed to talk to Dillon.

* * *

 **As always, thank you for reading! Will Merissa tell Julia her secret? Stay tuned to find out!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	20. Chapter 19: Secret

**Sorry that this chapter is posted a bit later than usual! College has been insane lately, but I love posting new material! As always, thank you for reading and leave a review to tell me what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. I do currently have gold sparkly fingernails because why not? All OCs are my own creation!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Secret**

I changed into a coral bandeau bikini top and an old pair of jean shorts as soon as I got home. I threw my long brown hair into a messy bun and grabbed a towel from my closet. The late-evening summer sunsets made going to the beach after work a reality.

It was also a perfect opportunity for me to talk to Dillon.

I rode my bike down to Town Square, the long street that was home to Sunbeams and other local stores. The large parking lot at the end of the street was full of tourists packing up to go back to their hotels or rental homes. Beach Bum's Beach Shop, with its attached ice-cream parlor, sat right next to this parking lot and overlooked the ocean. There were volleyball courts and a swing-set at the top of the beach. The main lifeguard station was right next to Beach Bum's on the other side of the parking lot. The lifeguard station was painted red and white and sat on stilts, with a balcony that wrapped around a small office.

I leaned my bike against one of the racks in front of Beach Bum's and walked over to the lifeguard station.

"Merissa Blakely!" I heard a familiar voice call. "Long-time, no-see!"

I looked up to see Mr. Tony standing on the balcony of the station. He was my dad's boss since I was born and was on shift the day that he disappeared. Mr. Tony was the last one to finish looking for my dad. He exhausted all of his resources before quitting and was at his memorial service. He sat next to me during my mother's funeral five months later.

He jumped down from the balcony and wrapped me in a big bear hug. For being almost sixty, he was as lively and fit as a twenty year old.

"How is my favorite girl?" He asked, holding me out by the shoulders to get a look at me.

"I'm good." I said, happy to see someone who is practically family after such a long time.

He asked me all about college and I told him about my grades and my track medals.

"Your father would have been so proud of you." He said, embracing me in a hug in an attempt to hide the sadness on his own face.

"Thank you, Mr. Tony." I said.

"What brings you around?" He said, wiping what looked like a tear from his cheek.

"I'm actually looking for a friend." I replied, adjusting the towel that was draped over my shoulders. "He's actually one of your guards. His name is Dillon."

"Dillon West?" He asked.

"Yes, that's him!" I replied, realizing that I didn't know Dillon's last name. Did mermen have last names?

Before Mr. Tony could answer me, however, we heard a young girl screaming. She was far out to sea and was unable to overcome the current that was pulling her.

Dillon came flying out of the guard office, rescue tube in hand, and jumped off of the balcony. He hit the sand hard and immediately began running toward the water.

I suddenly became nauseous. The last time I saw someone I loved go into the ocean, they didn't return.

Mr. Tony could sense my fear as he put a hand on my shoulder and said, "It's going to be OK. That boy is the strongest swimmer I have."

Dillon dove into the water and swam toward the girl with astonishing speed, considering he was only using his legs. I saw him grab the girl and start to make his way back to shore with her. As soon as she could, the girl ran out of the water and into the arms of her mother. Onlookers patted Dillon on the back as he made his way back to the station. He was a hero.

"Hey, Merissa!" He called as he saw me.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he came up to me, probably seeing that I was as pale as a ghost.

I took a moment to regain my composure.

"It was good seeing you, Merissa." Mr. Tony said, patting me on the back. "Great rescue, Dillon. Keep up the good work."

"See you later, Mr. Tony!" I said as he walked up the stairs and into the station.

"What's up?" Dillon said, turning toward me. He was still breathing heavy from his rescue. The water made his blond hair turn into a dusty brown. I was able to see the outline of his moonring under his shirt.

"Nothing major," I replied, "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

"I get off of work in a little bit if you want to talk about it." He said, taking my hand in his and smiling in a way that made me feel like he genuinely cared about me.

"That sounds good." I said, looking up into his blue eyes.

I laid my towel in the sand and thought about what I was going to say to him. I thought about all of the ways that my life would be different now that I had so much to hide.

He got off of work and sat down next to me.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, looking at me in such a way that already made me feel better.

"So," I began, trying to re-organize all of the thoughts that fell apart when he smiled at me, "I can't tell anyone about this whole… thing, right?"

He looked out into the water and pursed his lips together, as if he was trying to come up with the best answer to my question.

"It's about Julia, isn't it?" He finally asked.

"How did you know?" I asked, shocked that he was able to figure me out so quickly.

"You said it yourself," he said, laying back in the sand, "she is practically your older sister. I've also been in your same situation."

"Really?" I asked, laying back with him. The sky had turned to watercolors of corals and yellows. "What happened?"

"Remember the story I told you about going to get candy from a gas station?" He said.

"Of course! You just liked human candy a lot, right?" I replied.

"There's a bit more to the story." He started, folding his hands over his stomach. "When my dad lived on land he fell in love with chocolate. He couldn't get enough of it. Obviously, you couldn't get chocolate underwater so he went without it for a few years. My parents eventually moved to Tampa Bay and I was born soon after. When I was two years old, he started to take me on land with him to a gas station that sold chocolate bars. We would go once a week, at least, to get candy. The owner of the store had a son that was about two years older than me. His name was Tucker. We became best friends. We would play while our dads would hang out and talk about sports. Overtime, my dad would send me on land when he thought that we were about to go under attack. I would always go to the gas station and play with Tucker. This lasted for many years."

"What happened?" I asked, turning my head to look at him.

"Tucker started to ask questions." He replied, taking a deep breath. "He wanted to know where I went to school. He wanted to know if I had any pets. He wanted to come over to my house for a play-date. We were just kids in elementary school then. We grew up and our friendship slowly became strained. I was only able to see him about once a month since I was helping my pod defend itself from The Immitis. Tucker got new friends that went to school with him and had pets and had houses to hang out at. Finally, in an attempt to save our friendship, I told him my secret."

"What did he say?" I asked, sitting up to look at him. He stayed lying down with a blank look in his eyes.

"He called me a freak. I never heard from him again." He said.

"Dillon," I said softly, "I am so sorry."

"Don't be." he said, sitting up like he was trying to shake the bad memories. "The moral of the story is that sometimes it's hard to determine what will save a friendship or ruin it. I have only met Julia once. You know how she would react better than I do."

"That isn't an answer." I said.

"The answer is," he said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "that only you know what you need to tell her and when."

"That doesn't make it easier." I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I didn't say that it was going to be easy." He laughed. "I'm not a miracle worker."

We both laughed and got up from the sand.

"Let's head home." He said, taking me by the hand and walking with me up the beach.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! Things are about to get super exciting!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	21. Chapter 20: Danger

**Thank you so much for reading this story! This journey has been crazy, but I love being able to write new material and share it with you all. Thank you for your constant support. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a coffee-maker because caffeine and anxiety are the only things getting me through this week lol. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Danger**

We walked up the stairs and through the front door of my house, laughing about some story that Dillon was telling me about his first days as a lifeguard.

Our moods quickly changed, however, when we were greeted by my aunt, uncle, and a woman whom I had never seen before. All three of them had somber expressions on their faces.

"What's going on?" I asked, slowly closing the door behind me as I walked in the living room.

I turned to look at Dillon. He was as confused as I was.

"Hello, Merissa." The woman said, reaching her hand out to me. "My name is Aquata and I am the chairwoman for the Land-Sea Relations Committee of the Cape Hatteras Pod. How are you today?"

The woman was beautiful and spoke with an Australian accent. She had to be in her fifties, but looked young for her age. She had blonde hair that fell slightly past her shoulders. A headband made of pearls and seashells pulled her wavy hair away from her blue eyes. She was wearing a lilac blouse, a pair of black capris, and silver sandals.

"I'm fine." I said, trying to read the facial expressions of those in the room. My aunt looked distraught and heartbroken. My uncle looked frustrated.

"Please, take a seat." She said, motioning for me to join her on the couch. Dillon sat next to me.

"How have you been transitioning?" She asked, reaching to place her hand on mine. I pulled away.

"It has been fine." I replied, trying to evaluate if she was friend or foe.

"Is something wrong, Aquata?" Dillon asked, as if he could read my mind. His tone of voice made it sound like he knew her.

"There is no point in beating around the bush." Aunt Mimmi said to Aquata.

"Merissa," Aquata said, "I considered myself to be close to your parents. I am Sirena's sister and I was at Mako when your father first became a merman. I first want to share my deepest condolences with you."

I started to trust her more now that a layer of false-kindness was starting to peel away. I realized that Dillon must have known her through Sirena, the mermaid who helped him move to be with me.

"I need to ask you a few questions about your life since the completion of your transformation into a mermaid." She said, taking out a pad of paper and a pen from her bag.

"OK." I said, still sensing bad energy in the room.

"Merissa, have you been experiencing anything that seems out of the ordinary?" She asked.

"This whole thing has been 'out of the ordinary'." I replied with a little more sass than I probably should have.

Aquata looked hurt.

"I'm sorry." I quickly added. "I just hate when I feel like people are trying to hide something from me."

"I understand." She said as she recollected herself. "This process is daunting for anyone. I'm sorry if it seems like I am being insensitive, I just need your help."

"OK." I said, trying to remember anything particularly unusual that has been happening. "Dillon and I have been attacked by two mermen. He said that they were probably some of Pravus' men. The first attack happened on the pier before I knew about mer-people. The second attack happened last night on the beach."

"What happened during the first attack?" She asked between writing down notes.

"Dillon fought off the two mermen during the first attack." I replied. "He got them wet and then froze them in place so they couldn't get to us. We ended up jumping off of the pier and then swimming to safety."

"Did you notice anything strange in the water?" She asked, still taking notes.

"No," I replied, "not that I know of. It was pretty dark and hard to see."

"You turned into a mermaid that night, correct?" She asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Now tell me about the second attack." She said, looking up at me.

"Dillon and I were jogging on the beach." I started, trying to relive the night. "I was running to catch up with him when I was suddenly grabbed. I hit my attacker in the stomach with my elbow and he released me. There was only one man this time."

"How did you get away from him?" She asked.

"I held my hand up to defend myself," I said, "but a massive wave came out of nowhere and pulled my captor out to sea. I looked to see where the wave had come from, but I only saw a blue fin disappear into the water."

I saw my aunt cover her mouth in shock. My uncle rested a loving hand on hers to calm her down.

"Do you think it belonged to your attacker?" Aquata asked.

"No," I replied, "it was too far out to sea."

"You're doing great." Aquata said, taking down a few more notes before turning to my aunt.

Dillon intertwined my fingers with his and gave a gentle squeeze for encouragement.

"Merissa," Aquata said as she studied her notes, "have you been experiencing any bad dreams?"

"Yes." I replied, confused as to how she could have known this. "I had one last night and another the night before."

"What happened during those dreams?"

"The first dream seemed to be an undersea battle." I said, trying to remember the details of the nightmare. "The second one was more bizarre."

"What was going on in the second dream?"

I took a moment to try and remember the details. Everything was a bit unclear at this point.

"I was swimming." I started, continuing to survey the room. "It was dark. I was in deep waters. Someone told me to turn around or something. That last part is a bit fuzzy. I remember two piercing blue eyes staring at me. The man had dark hair, very light skin, and an angular face. He then punched me and knocked me out."

My aunt inhaled sharply at the final details of my dream.

"Please," I said, trying to plead with anyone who would listen, "what is going on? What does all of this mean?"

"Merissa," Aquata said, putting down her note pad and looking me in the eyes, "your father is alive and we have reason to believe that he is in grave danger."

* * *

 **"Cliff Hanger, hanging from a cliff... and that's why he's called Cliff Hnager!" (** ** _Between the Lions_** **, anyone? Am I too old for this?)**

 **How will Merissa respond to this news? Where is Zac? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	22. Chapter 21: Hero

**Thank you so incredibly much for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far! Your support means the world to me and I am so thankful to have received such positive feedback.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own an appropriate outfit for this crazy weather because it changes every day and every hour. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Hero**

When I was in kindergarten, there was a special day of the year called "Heroes Day". All of the kids in class would tell stories of their heroes. Many of my classmates brought in comic books and bedtime stories. They all spun tales of knights in shining armor and superheroes in capes. Unlike my classmates, however, my hero was in the room when I talked about him.

My hero was my dad.

I drew a picture of him rescuing a swimmer from drowning and showed it to my peers with pride. My teacher even let my dad say a few words about being a lifeguard. He was my knight in shining armor and he had the strength of one hundred Supermen. There was nothing that he couldn't do.

Throughout the years, he became my hero in many more ways. He washed chocolate ice-cream stains out of my favorite princess costume. He was my date to the daddy-daughter dance. He carried me all the way to the car when I sprained my ankle at my first track meet. He wiped my tears away when I experienced my first heartbreak.

He died and now he was alive again.

"How long have you known this?" I asked. I felt completely numb. My heart had turned to ice. I couldn't feel anything even if I wanted to.

The only thing that was going through my mind was "your father is alive and he is in grave danger."

"We have known your father's whereabouts since his 'disappearance' a year and a half ago." Aquata said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Aunt Mimmi," I said coldly, "did you know that he was still alive?"

She couldn't even look at me.

"My mother died." I said with venom dripping from my every word. "She died because of the stress and grief. She died thinking that the love of her life was dead."

"We were simply trying to protect you-."

"Stop saying that!" I screamed as I stood up from the couch. My ice-cold numbness had been replaced by the fire of pure fury and hatred. "You weren't protecting anyone. You were covering your own bases and it cost my mother her life."

"Merissa," Dillon said, trying to place his hand on my shoulder, "I am so sorry."

"You knew about this?" I asked in complete disgust as I pulled myself away from him. "You let me sit there in a restaurant and tell you a life-story that you knew was all a lie? You lied to me, Dillon. Why would you do that?"

"It was for your own good." He said firmly, standing to become face to face with me.

"Don't ever say that again." I shouted. "None of this was for my own good. None of this was for my protection. I spent a year and a half of my life wondering why I was left alone. I wondered why no one loved me. I wondered why my two best friends had to leave me. Now, I find out that my father is alive but that it may be too late to save him from whatever situation he is in. Are you seriously about to make me experience the death of my father twice?"

The room was completely silent.

Finally, my aunt spoke up.

"The man that you saw in your dream is Pravus." She said, plainly. She was a woman who spoke in facts. Logic and reasoning were her specialty. In this moment, her words were what I needed to hear.

"How did I see him?" I asked, crossing my arms in both defiance and protection.

"Our immediate family," she started, "was blessed with a gift. Your father and I shared this ability when we first realized that we were brother and sister. Our mother, your grandmother, gave us this gift of visualization so that we would always know when the other needs us. Now, this gift has been extended to you. This is how I knew that you were in danger at the pier. This is also how your father knew that you were in danger on the beach."

"He was the one who saved me?" I asked softly and in disbelief. He was always my hero.

"Yes." She replied. "Now, he needs your help. Your dreams were actually visions of what danger he was in. The descriptions that you provided will allow our soldiers to be able to rescue him."

I didn't know what to say.

"Why did he have to disappear in the first place?" I asked after a moment was taken to gather my thoughts.

"We needed him to fight with us." Aquata said cautiously. "As much as you don't want to hear it, Merissa, his 'sudden disappearance' was what kept you safe until now. The less you knew about the revolution, the less danger you were in. The main reason why your father was a lifeguard was so that we could easily access him if we needed him. He could be gone without a trace and everything would look like an accident."

"Is this why you are a lifeguard, too?" I asked Dillon.

He simply nodded.

I felt sick.

"What do we do now?" I asked, still standing in the middle of the living room.

"We will give our best soldiers the information that you provided us." Aquata said as she put the notepad back in her bag. "We will keep you updated as soon as we find out anything."

"That's not good enough." I said, feeling frustrated and used. "I'm the one with the visions. I should be the one who goes after him."

"Your training is nowhere near complete." My aunt said, looking at me with fear in her eyes. "You would be up against highly-skilled assassins. It is completely unsafe."

I stood in silence.

"We will start our search in the morning." Aquata said, rising from her seat. "Thank you for your time."

She waved goodbye to Mimmi and Dillon before walking out the front door.

"They will find him." Dillon whispered.

"You don't know that." I snapped. "He could be dead by now. If he isn't already dead then he might be by the time they start searching tomorrow morning."

"Merissa, I know that this is tough but you need to think through this." Uncle Chris said. These were the first words that he spoke all night.

"All of you knew that my father was still alive." I said, becoming emotionally exhausted. "None of you told me that he was in danger. You all have said that I am a powerful mermaid. Why can't you let me take care of this?"

"You aren't ready." Mimmi said, taking a step towards me.

"This is your brother." I said. "How can you give up so quickly?"

"I know my brother," she retorted, "and the last thing he would want is for either one of us to be put in danger."

"Maybe you just have to take risks to save someone that you care about." I said.

I suddenly turned and ran out the front door. I bounded down the stairs and started running up the street and toward the boardwalk.

I heard footsteps behind me.

"Merissa!" I heard Dillon call.

The last thing that I wanted to do was to break his heart, but I also knew what had to be done in order to save my father's life. I wasn't going to lose him for a second time.

I ran up the boardwalk, feeling faster than I have ever felt before. My legs were on fire while my heart was still as cold as ice.

I ran over the dunes and started to fly toward the waves. I could hear Dillon closing in on me.

"Merissa!" He screamed as he tried to grab my hand.

Tears were streaming down his face. He was so hurt and so confused.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered under my breath, eyes focused on the sea.

All I could feel was the pounding of my feet against the sand. Pushing, pushing, pushing further down the beach and eventually reaching the water.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

 **Wow, look at that prologue worked in there all snug-like. This was such a fun chapter to write and I hope you enjoyed it. What will happen to Merissa as she searches for her dad? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	23. Chapter 22: Unumentis

**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a t-shirt that is covered in hair dye because my best friend and I decided to be spontaneous. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Unumentis**

There is something about going underwater that causes a quiet peace to fall over you. All of the chaos, all of the noise, and all of the madness seem to dissipate into a warm rush of salt and stillness as soon as you dive in.

If I didn't know that there was an undersea war raging all around me, I would have sincerely believed that the entire ocean was as calming as the small part that surrounded me. All of my anger, all of my disappointment, and all of my frustration seemed to fade away. A determined spirit was the only thing left behind.

My dad was in trouble. I was the only one who could save him.

I transformed into my true self as soon as I was underwater. My tail was even more powerful than I first assumed that it was, sending me gliding through the dark waves faster than I could have thought possible.

I was fast.

Dillon was faster.

I saw him come up behind me out of the corner of my eye before abruptly blocking my path. I barely avoided slamming into him, managing to stop myself just in time. We were staring at each other underwater with blank expressions and pleading eyes.

This was the first time that I had seen him in merman form. I couldn't stop staring at the place where his fleshy abdomen transitioned into a scaly tail. His blonde hair danced around his bright blue eyes as they stared into mine.

He reached out his hand to me as a peace offering. Reluctantly, and as a result of the clarity that I was experiencing in the water, I took it. He led me to the ocean's surface as we swam hand in hand.

We surfaced and let a long and deafening silence build before it was finally broken.

"You lied to me." I said softly, tasting the pain and bitterness that those words left behind.

"You're right." He said, looking as hurt as I felt. "I did lie to you. I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me; however, we have much larger problems to worry about."

"Does this mean that you are going to help me?" I asked, feeling suddenly hopeful.

"When I became a warrior," he started, "I had to take an oath. The oath basically stated that, no matter what, we would do anything to help our fellow mer-person. By allowing you to go on your own and leaving your father in danger, I would be breaking my oath two-fold."

I felt a new sense of determination start to fill me.

"This isn't a good idea," he added, "but I made a promise. I am a man of my word. I would also never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you."

I threw my arms around his neck and allowed tears to flow down my cheeks.

"Thank you." I whispered into his shoulder.

He put his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

"Let's go get your dad." He said, releasing me from his embrace and turning to dive back under the water.

I followed close behind him. The ability to swim great distances without the need for air was still new to me. I would feel a panic wash over me at times as the need to breathe would come into the back of my mind. Breathing air is, theoretically, the single-most human action that one could do. The breath is a gift that is given at birth and reclaimed upon one's death.

Everything that comes must also go.

Now, there was a new breath that had been given to me. I was reincarnated into an undersea world. Much like the phoenix, adversity had made me stronger; however, instead of rising from the ashes, I was able to find a new home in the waves.

Everything that comes must also go, but it may return.

Now, my dad had come back to me. There was a chance that we could be together again, but it was up to me to make this happen. Although the challenge before me was daunting, the newfound sense of confidence that I was experiencing was enough to move mountains or, in this case, vanquish a revolution.

 _"We have been swimming for miles."_ I thought to myself. The fire that was in me could not be extinguished, but I could feel my body's strength start to diminish.

 _"Do you want to take a break?"_ I heard Dillon ask.

I stopped in my tracks. I heard Dillon ask me if I wanted to stop; however, it would have been impossible for him to speak to me underwater. It was like his voice was in my head.

He turned around and faced me with a look of shock on his face. He pointed toward the surface of the water and we both swam up. Salty air and a cool breeze met us as we breached our heads through the waves.

"Can this get any more bizarre?" I asked, trying to catch my breath and adapt to suddenly breathing air again.

"I have heard of this happening," Dillon started, "but I always thought that it was just a legend."

"Dillon," I said, "you are a merman. I don't think that you have any reason to not believe in legends."

"When two mer-people form a deep connection," he said, laughing at my joke, "it is said that they can have one mind."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling the chilly waves lap against my shoulders.

"It's called 'unumentis'." He said, moving to float on his back. "It comes from the Latin words that literally mean 'one mind' or 'one body'. I have only heard of this gift, but I have never actually met anyone with it."

"So it is like the gift that I have with my aunt and dad?" I asked, trying to process this information.

"Not exactly," he said, "your gift is based on sight. You are also only able to use the gift when one of you is in danger. Unumentis is a gift of sound and we are in full control of it."

 _"This is so weird."_ I thought.

 _"I know."_ I heard Dillon say. _"But you have to admit that it is pretty cool."_

We both laughed and turned to dive under water.

 _"Where do you think my dad is?"_ I asked, swimming close behind him.

 _"Based on your dream,"_ he replied, _"I think that he was somewhere over the Hatteras Plain when he was taken. We still have a ways to go and the plain itself is incredibly large in size."_

 _"What should we do?"_ I asked, feeling myself grow even more exhausted.

 _"I have some friends that live around here in a series of underwater caves."_ He replied, slowing down his swimming so that I could catch up with him. _"They would be more than happy to let us sleep there for a bit. They may even help us find your dad."_

 _"That would be amazing."_ I said, feeling the soreness in my tail. _"Who are your friends?"_

 _"They are some mermen that are stationed out here as a reserve fleet."_ He said, stopping to face me. _"They all live together and are trained to be reinforcements. There are three of them and they are all about our age. I lived with them in Tampa Bay and we basically grew up together."_

 _"Why are they on the coast of North Carolina?"_ I asked.

 _"To protect you."_ He said, turning back around to keep swimming.

I felt a pang of guilt. So many people were sent to protect me. So many lives were possibly uprooted for my sake. I realized, however, that I was never really alone during the time that my parents were gone. I was always being loved and cared-for, I just never realized how much. I was so thankful for all that Dillon had done, along with all of the mentors and strangers that I met along the way.

 _"We are almost there."_ He said, suddenly turning to swim down to the bottom of the ocean floor.

I followed him into the depths. The dark waves cleared to reveal a hidden cave that was covered in seaweed and kelp. We swam through the entrance of the cave to be met with a large open space. We came up through the surface of the water to see a massive room that was filled with knick-knacks and seashells. The pool of water was met by a large stone ledge that stretched around the circumference of the cave. There were three sleeping mats in on the ledge and each one was surrounded by a different accumulation of objects. The cave was illuminated by LED lights that covered the stone walls. On the back wall of the room sat a large sofa and a table that was covered in vials similar to the ones that Mimmi had.

"Hello?" Dillon called as we swam towards the side of the pool. There was no sign of any life in the cave.

All of a sudden, someone jumped on top of Dillon and pulled him underwater.

* * *

 **What will happen to Dillon? Stay tuned to find out! Thank you for reading!**

 **- _Crispin Robb_**


	24. Chapter 23: The Call

**Thank you so much for reading and for your amazing support! Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story! You all are so amazing and it is incredible that I am able to share this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. I do own a large coffee because it's Monday morning. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: The Call**

"Dillon!" I screamed as I backed into the ledge. I held out my hand in an attempt to defend both myself and him.

I heard laughing in the cave and frantically looked around to see where it was coming from. There was no one else in the cave besides myself, Dillon, and his attacker.

To my relief, he resurfaced a few seconds later with his arms wrapped around the man who jumped on him; however, instead of fighting, they were laughing together. They both stopped their wrestling when they saw me and the expression of shock and fear on my face.

"Is this her?" The man asked Dillon as he swam closer to me. He had brown hair and bright green eyes. His skin was tan and his musculature was impressive. He had a slight accent that sounded Mediterranean.

"That's her." Dillon replied, following him over to the ledge that I was against.

I saw two more men materialize in the corner of the cave that was closest to the underwater entrance. They were laughing hysterically and wiping tears from their eyes.

"You should have seen your face, Dill-Pickle!" One of the men on the ledge said. This man had dark skin and appeared to be of African descent. His hair was cut short and he had magnificently dark brown eyes. He was also muscular, but not as much so as the man in the water. He was wearing an orange t shirt and a pair of black athletic shorts.

The man standing next to him was snickering quietly. He had a mess of wavy red hair on his head and a face full of freckles. He had light blue eyes and was wearing a purple t-shirt and khaki shorts.

"My name is Wes." The man in the water said, extending his arm out to me.

"I'm Merissa." I replied, shaking his hand and trying to regain my composure.

Dillon was using his powers to splash water on the two men on the ledge. He then pulled himself out of the water and turned into his human form.

"Those two goons are Milo and Trey." Wes said, motioning to the two men on the ledge who were now trying to wrestle with Dillon. "Milo is the one with red hair and Trey is the one who has Dill-Pickle in a headlock."

Wes got out of the water and turned into his human form. He was wearing a green t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He helped pull me onto the ledge and stood me up after I turned into a human. I was still wearing my jean shorts with an old white tank-top pulled over the top of my coral bandeau. My legs felt weak and wobbly as I walked over to the couch to rest. The other boys followed me and Wes over to the back wall of the cave.

"We didn't think that we would be seeing you so soon." Trey said, taking a seat on the ground across from me. "Especially as a mermaid."

Dillon took a seat next to me and Wes sat on the other side, leaving Milo to join Trey on the ground.

"I'm sorry about your parents." Milo said softly, with a caring look in his eyes. He spoke with a bit of an Irish accent. He looked incredibly kind and sweet while also being quite shy.

"Thank you." I said.

"What brings you back to the pit, Dill-Weed?" Wes asked, turning to face the both of us.

The three boys sat in complete silence as Dillon recalled the events that happened over the past three days. He told them all about the attacks on us, the dreams that I was having, and the current situation of my father.

"Where is Zac now?" Trey asked.

"We have reason to believe that he is imprisoned by Pravus in one of his underwater bases. Based on Merissa's dream, he may be over or around the Hatteras Plain." Dillon said.

"That's a massive search area," Wes said, "but you know that we will do anything to help you."

"Definitely." Trey said as Milo nodded his head in agreement.

"We were wondering if we could stay here overnight." I said, turning toward the boys. "If it is any inconvenience at all, then we completely understand."

"Inconvenience?" Wes asked, starting to laugh. "Merissa, we are basically here to protect you and make sure that this loser doesn't screw things up too much." He play-punched Dillon in the arm, causing him to laugh.

"You are more than welcome to stay with us, Merissa." Milo said sweetly. "I will prepare some mats for you both."

"Snapple-Cap, don't you have a map of the area?" Wes asked Trey as Milo was preparing a place for Dillon and I to sleep.

"Of course!" He said, bringing his palm to his forehead. He ran over to the sleeping mat with an orange blanket on it. The mat was surrounded by stacks of books and magazines. He was looking through a box filled with rolls of paper that sat in the corner of his space.

"Why do you call him 'Snapple-Cap'?" I asked Wes.

"The boy knows everything." He replied. "I bet you that he could tell you every fact that is in each of those books."

Trey walked over to the couch and spread the map out on the floor in front of us. The map showed the topography of the ocean floor.

"The blue stars represent our current position. We are right here" He said, motioning to the series of blue stars that dotted the map and pointing to a particular star that was larger than the others. "The black stars show The Immitis' probable positioning."

"Where do you think my dad may be?" I asked as I studied the map.

"That's hard to say." He said, leaning over the map. "But, based on your dream and our knowledge of their defense strategies, I want to say that he may be in this region."

Trey pointed to a black star on the map that seemed to be about seventy miles from our current location.

"A lot of his troops have been seen in this area. There is an extensive network of undersea caves that would be perfect as both a base and a prison."

"We will go there tomorrow morning." Dillon said.

"By yourselves?" Milo asked as he re-joined our circle.

"The odds are not in your favor, my friends." Trey said, rolling up his map and securing it with a rubber band.

"Well, we will just join them." Wes said, rubbing his hands together. "Five is better than two, right boys?"

"I can't let you do this." Dillon said to his friends.

"Don't sweat it, Dill-Sauce." Wes said, putting on a brave face while his eyes were full of anxiety. "We took an oath, remember?"

"Not one soul shall ever fall…" Trey started.

"…as a warrior will always answer the call." Milo continued.

Dillon smiled at his friends as a silent "thank you".

"Besides," Wes continued, "we haven't seen any action since we moved out here from Tampa. I'm just excited that we will finally be able to do something."

"We will find your dad." Milo said, standing to join Wes. "We promise."

"I think that it would be wise to take tomorrow morning to strategize and train." Trey said as he stood. "I know that you would like to leave immediately, but going into battle unprepared would not be worth the timing."

"He has a point." Dillon said, turning towards me.

"Alright," I said reluctantly, "but you have to teach me how to use my moonring."

I saw Milo perk up out of the corner of my eye.

"Magic is Milo's specialty." Wes said, looking at Milo's sudden enthusiasm. "He may seem timid, but he is a force to be reckoned with once you give him a spell or potion. He's the descendant of an Irish mermaid who stopped a comet from destroying Earth. No big deal, right?"

Milo turned his head to hide his blush.

"Dillon and I will work on making a plan of attack while you master you powers." Trey said to me.

"I will get in touch with some reinforcements on the other side of Pravus' base." Wes said. I had come to realize that Wes was the leader of the group.

"Perfect." I said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Let's get some sleep." Dillon said, putting his hand on the small of my back. "Tomorrow will be a big day."

We all went to our respective mats and laid down.

 _"Dillon?"_ I thought.

 _"Yes?"_ He replied.

 _"Thank you."_ I said.

 _"For what?"_

 _"For looking out for me through this whole process."_

 _"Not one soul shall ever fall, as a warrior will always answer the call."_ He said.

 _"Goodnight, Dillon."_

 _"Goodnight, Merissa."_

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Who is your favorite character so far?**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	25. Chapter 24: Power

**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying this story so far! Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 ** _*****IMPORTANT TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains material that may be a trigger for those who suffer from self-harm. Please, if this applies to you, PM me and I will give you a modified version of this chapter. Mental health is so important and I care about you all so much. I know that I have my triggers and we all go through hardship. Stay strong, everyone.*****_ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any or its characters/ideas. I also own another large cup of coffee because it's a Tuesday morning and one of "those" weeks. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Power**

I woke up to find Milo standing over me and staring at me with his blue eyes. He had to be the youngest of the group of boys as he was only about seventeen years old. He smiled as I blinked my eyes open and rubbed my face with my hands.

I realized that I did not dream that night. I wasn't sure if that made me feel better or worse about my father's situation.

"Good morning." I said, sitting up from the mat. Surprisingly, the make-shift bed was fairly comfortable.

"Good morning." Milo said softly, offering out his hand to help me up.

I stood up from the bed, realizing that I had fallen asleep in all of my clothes. I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a fresh outfit. I re-fashioned my hair in a ponytail and rinsed off my face in the pool of water.

"Where are the others?" I asked, looking around the cave to find it devoid of life.

"They are gathering food for breakfast." He replied, picking up my mat and turning on a few of the LED lights that were on the cave wall.

"Where are you from, Milo?" I asked as I sat on the ledge of the cave and put my feet in the water.

I think that my question caught him off guard as he stopped in his tracks and almost dropped the mat that he was holding. I wondered how many friends he had besides Wes and Trey, considering how quiet and painfully shy he was. Milo was like a little brother that had to be taken care of. Despite his shyness, however, I was easily able to tell that he had a big heart.

He put the mat away and came to join me on the ledge of the pool.

"I was born on the shores of Ireland." He began, speaking softly and keeping his eyes focused on the water. "My parents were members of the Clare Island pod. Our pod was small but I heard that it was very loving and tight-knit. Unfortunately, we were one of the first pods to be attacked by The Immitis. I was only a baby at the time so I don't remember much. I lost both of my parents in the attack."

"I'm so sorry." I said, empathizing with the pain that he felt.

"It's OK." He said, out of habit. "I was taken by a few survivors of the pod to the Mediterranean Sea where we found refuge with the Malta pod. That is where I met Wes. We grew up together and he basically became my big brother. After a while, it became unsafe for us to continue living in near Malta so we crossed the Atlantic and came to Tampa Bay when I was seven."

"That must have been a long journey." I said.

"I don't remember it that much." Milo said, plainly. "Wes remembers it more than I do since he was thirteen when we made the trip. We met Dillon after we moved and we all became really good friends. Trey came with his family from across the gulf when we were older. We all wanted to stay together when we were assigned to new posts, so they allowed the three of us to come out here. We didn't think that we would see Dillon so soon."

"What sparked your interest in magic?" I asked. His face lit up when I mentioned his passion.

"When we were in Malta I didn't really have many friends besides Wes. I found a mentor named Luca who taught me everything that he knew about magic. He was a very old and very wise merman who was like family to me. I mastered everything that he taught me. Every spell, every potion, and every power was passed on to me." He said, looking down and admiring his moonring.

"Now," he continued, lifting his face to meet my eyes, "I get to teach you all that Luca taught me."

"I'm ready to learn." I said, rising from my seat.

We walked over to the table that was covered in vials of all shapes and sizes. The vials were sparkling in the LED lights and appeared to be arranged by color. A bowl full of seaweed was on the table along with various other bowls, spoons, and glasses.

"I think that we should start with your moonring training." He said, starting to sound a bit more confident. Magic was his element.

"Now," he said, placing a piece of seaweed on the table, "I want you to duplicate this. Hold up your moonring and concentrate on what you want to happen. Most importantly, always think positively. Moonrings do not respond to negative thoughts."

I cleared my mind of all things negative and focused on replicating the piece of seaweed in front of me. With great concentration, I was able to accomplish the task.

"I did it!" I said, picking up my cloned piece of seaweed.

"You did what?" I heard Dillon say from behind me.

I turned around to see him, Wes, and Trey come up from the depths of the pool.

"I cloned seaweed!" I said, tossing the piece of ocean flora to him.

"Great job, you two." Wes said, putting a mesh bag full of clams and crabs on the ledge of the pool.

Milo and I walked over to help the boys out of the pool. Trey filled a large pot full of water and placed the clams and crabs in the pot. He used his powers to boil the water and cook breakfast. We sat on the floor of the cave and ate our meal in silence, each of us reflecting on the task that was ahead.

"Milo," Wes said as we finished breakfast, "you and Merissa will continue her training. Dillon, Trey, and I will plan our method of attack."

We all nodded in agreement at the plan. After cleaning up, we all moved to different areas of the cave to fulfill our tasks. Milo taught me all kinds of new spells with my moonring, including one to create powerful weather systems. He taught me a song that would incapacitate anyone who heard it. Since the song is so powerful, he had to write down the sheet music for it and teach it to me in little sections. He also taught me a few potions that could be made with ingredients that were indigenous to the Hatteras Plain area. I was learning so much information that I hoped to remember it all.

I looked over to see Dillon, Wes, and Trey pouring over maps and books that were spread out all over the floor. Wes was making notes in a large book while Dillon and Trey studied the vast material that was in front of them. Dillon made eye contact with me and smiled.

 _"You're doing great."_ I heard him say.

 _"Thank you."_ I replied before returning to my lesson.

"There is one more thing that I could teach you." Milo said as he organized the contents on the table. "However, I have never actually seen a mermaid do this in real life."

"What is it?" I asked, adjusting my moonring.

"This power is one that is only granted to few mermaids per generation." He said.

"You don't think that she has it, do you?" Trey said, turning from the map that he was intently focusing on. "No offense, Merissa."

"None taken." I said, still confused as to which "special power" they were talking about.

"There is only one way to test it." Wes said as he walked toward Milo and I.

"It's too dangerous." Milo said softly with fear growing in his eyes.

"This is a bad idea, Wes." Trey said, going to clutch his arm. "It's statistically impossible that Merissa has this power."

"It's worth a shot." Wes said, pulling a switchblade out of his back pocket and approaching me with it.

"Wes, this is stupid." Dillon said, raising his voice. He tried to pull the blade out of his hand, but Wes pulled it away.

Wes flipped the blade out of the handle of the knife and looked into its reflective shine. He smiled a menacing smile at me while Milo, Trey, and Dillon looked on in horror. He held the blade to the inside of his elbow and ran a long line down his forearm. He winced in pain as the mark turned from pink to dripping scarlet.

"Heal me."

* * *

 **Yay for more cliffhangers! Does Merissa have the power? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	26. Chapter 25: Warrior

**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying this story so far! Leave a review and let me know what you think! Sorry that is update is a little later in the day than most. The lovely wifi at school was not working. Whoo.  
**

 ** _*****IMPORTANT TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains material that may be a trigger for those who suffer from self-harm. Please, if this applies to you, PM me and I will give you a modified version of this chapter. Mental health is so important and I care about you all so much. I know that I have my triggers and we all go through hardship. Stay strong, everyone.*****_ **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any or its characters/ideas. I am, however, the proud owner of a fresh pair of scrubs with my school's logo on it (this is a really big deal for nursing students and I'm so excited). All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Warrior**

"Are you crazy?" I screamed at Wes who was now bleeding profusely from the long gash in his arm. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but looking at me with determined eyes.

"Wes, you are an idiot!" Trey screamed as he went to grab a towel.

I wrapped my hands around his arm in an attempt to control the bleeding. I focused on what I would need to do to heal him, including applying pressure now and thoroughly cleaning the wound later. I closed my eyes and squeezed my hands around his arm as tightly as I possibly could. This response seemed to be instinctive in a strange way.

I felt of surge of energy come from my core, run down my arms, and explode out of my fingertips. A strange tingling sensation covered the palms of my hands as I continued to wrap my hands around Wes' arm. I felt devoid of energy, but I held onto his arm in a desperate attempt to save him.

"Open your eyes." Wes whispered in my ear as the tingling sensation in my hands began to fade away.

I slowly opened my eyes to see that his gash had been completely healed, leaving behind no mark.

"I knew that you could do it." He said, placing the switchblade back in his pocket and grinning at me.

That was the last thing that I remember hearing before I collapsed.

I was suddenly ten years old again and running on the beach with my dad. It was early in the morning and the sun was peaking over the horizon, pouring its magnificent orange and pink hues into the ocean. I was going to try-out for the fifth-grade track team and my dad was helping me train. The air was cool and refreshing for late August and the weather was perfect for a run. I told my dad that I would race him to the boardwalk and, being the source of my competitive nature, he agreed. We both took off running toward the dunes. I won the race, only to turn around and see him on the ground and holding his hand. He was wincing in pain and told me that he had fallen and broke his finger. I had never been more scared in my entire life. He told me to remain calm and to think. I helped him get up and walk slowly home. We splinted his finger with some medical tape and two Popsicle sticks before going to the hospital. He was so proud of me.

"Healing is in your blood." He told me as I put away the first aid kit.

I never knew how right he was until now.

I woke up to the worst smell that I had ever experienced. The opening of my eyes revealed Trey kneeling over me and passing a vial of smelling salts under my nose. I started coughing and sat up to see that Dillon was holding my hand.

"Are you alright?" Dillon asked as I crossed my legs under me. I still felt incredibly fatigued and a bit nauseous.

"What happened?" I said, feeling a throbbing pain start to present itself in my temples.

"You have an amazing power to heal people." Wes said as he continued to examine his arm. "This is a really big deal."

"Why did I pass out?" I asked as I put my head between my knees to avoid losing consciousness again.

"It's common for mermaids who are still in training to over-estimate the amount of power required to accomplish a task." Trey said as he screwed the cap on the vial of his smelling salts. "In your case, you were put into a high-stress situation and ended up pouring a lot of power into healing Wes."

Trey shot Wes an accusing glare.

"Either way," Wes said, shrugging off Trey's antipathy, "you are able to do something that not many people are able to do."

I looked at Dillon for some sort of affirmation.

"Your power to heal is special," Dillon said, squeezing my hand. "You will learn how to control it in due time."

I smiled at him and hugged my knees to my chest.

"What do we do, now?" I asked, looking up at the four boys.

"I think it's time to make you a warrior," Wes said, reaching out his hand to pull me up.

"What?" I asked as I tried not to fall over. "I don't think that I'm ready."

"You are more than ready," Milo replied. These were the first words that he said since Wes pulled out the switchblade.

I smiled at Milo and turned to face Wes.

"What do I have to do to become a warrior?" I asked.

"There is a ceremony," Trey said, leaning against the back of the sofa. "It's a pretty big deal."

"You can wait in the pool while we get everything ready," Wes said, leading me to the edge of the water.

"This is insane." I thought as I lowered myself into the pool.

"Just roll with it." I heard Dillon say, almost as if he was laughing.

I transformed into a mermaid and swam to the bottom of the pool. I was both excited and concerned about becoming a warrior. This whole experience had been so daunting from the get-go. In the span of a few short days, my world had turned completely upside-down. I have gone from being an ordinary girl to an extraordinary mermaid. Despite all of the changes, however, I was ready to see what was in store.

"We are ready." I heard Dillon say after a few minutes had passed.

I resurfaced from the pool to see that all of the artificial lighting in the cave had been replaced by candlelight. All four boys were wearing blue cloaks that were secured with silver belts at the waist. Each one of them was holding a candle and they were arranged in a line across the ledge of the pool.

I got out of the water and transformed into my human form. Dillon handed his candle to Wes and helped me into a white cloak. He secured the cloak with a gold belt hung loosely around my waist. He then handed me an unlit candle and returned to his position. I stood in front of the four men, wondering what would happen next.

"Please repeat after me," Wes said in a booming voice. "As a warrior…"

"As a warrior…" I began as part of the oath. The rest of the oath went as follows:

 _As a warrior_

 _I shall always give my best._

 _I will triumph over evil and brave every quest._

 _Truth and justice shall be my shield._

 _While mercy and kindness, I will fully yield._

 _No warrior will be left behind._

 _As a nation of mer, we are all intertwined._

 _Not one soul shall ever fall,_

 _As a warrior will always answer the call._

 _This promise is sacred and, without a doubt,_

 _I will defend my people from here-on-out._

I finished the last words of the oath and felt a sense of power fill the room. It felt like static but in a magical way. I noticed Milo grin and I knew that he felt what I was experiencing.

"It is customary for each warrior to be granted a special name," Dillon said in an official tone. "I am Fidelis, The Faithful."

"I am Sophos, The Wise," Trey said.

"I am Placidus, The Peaceful." Milo continued.

"I am Fortem, The Strong." Wes finished.

"The council and I have chosen a name that reflects your character and your attributes," Dillon said. "Your name is now Medica, The Healing,"

I smiled at my new name.

"With these flames," Trey began, approaching me with his candle, "we, the warriors of the Psi squadron of the Cape Hatteras pod, pass our never-ending support to you."

"May your light continue to shine," Milo continued, "as you work to vanquish the darkness around us."

The four men placed their flames to the wick of my candle, causing it to glow brightly.

"Congratulations, Medica," Dillon said as he pulled his candle away.

"Welcome to the warrior ranks," Wes said as he blew out his candle.

"Now let's go save your dad."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! How will Merissa handle this new power? Stay tuned to find out!  
**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	27. Chapter 26: Darkness

**Thank you all so much for reading and enjoying this story! I am so thankful for y'all! As always, leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a keychain that looks like the bones of the leg. It even bends at the joint. I call it my "knee-chain". All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26- Darkness**

We quickly took off our cloaks and returned them to a special wardrobe that was near the table. The sense of energy and power that I felt during the ceremony was still coursing through the cave. I had gone from being an ordinary girl to being a powerful mermaid warrior. While I was empowered by the recent change, I was still focused on the incredible task ahead of me.

"We will need these," Wes said as he pulled a dusty blanket off of a large trunk.

The trunk looked like it had been recovered from a centuries-old shipwreck. The latches on the sides were worn and rusted, but the trunk itself appeared sturdy. We gathered around the large piece of furniture as Wes unlatched the locks and raised the lid. He carefully pushed back a blue velvet blanket to reveal metal breastplates that looked to be in pristine condition. Their silver shine sparkled and danced under the light of the still-lit candles. The pieces of armor were ornately decorated with an engraved scale pattern. The shoulders of the plates featured the traditional symbol of the broken trident. The most astounding part of the plate, however, was the large moonstone that was embedded in the metal at the sternum. While the armor was beautiful, it was a powerful weapon and item of defense.

Wes and Dillon picked up the chest and brought it over to the side of the pool. All five of us entered the water and transformed into our aquatic selves. Dillon helped me fasten a breastplate onto my chest and secure it in the back. Surprisingly, the metal was lightweight and easy to swim in. Wes, Trey, and Milo helped one another into their armor before disappearing under the water. Only Dillon and I remained in the cave.

"Dillon?" I said as he removed his moonring from his necklace to place it on his finger.

"Yeah?"

"Did I make a mistake?" I asked, feeling a sense of fear and anxiety wash over me.

"There is only one thing that I have been absolutely certain of during this entire time," he started, looking up at me, "and it's that you are the strongest person that I know. You didn't make a mistake, Merissa."

I swam over to him and was pulled into his embrace. He tilted my chin up so that my dark eyes met his sparkling blue ones. He placed his hand on the back of my head and kissed me. Nothing had ever felt more magical than that moment. I felt all of my fear melt into the pool of water as our lips interlocked. I opened my eyes momentarily to see that both of the moonstones on our breastplates were glowing with a beautiful blue light. I left a final kiss on his lips before allowing my eyes to meet his.

"If you don't mind," I heard Trey's voice call from the entrance of the cave, "we have a rescue mission to attempt."

I could feel my face grow hot from embarrassment. Dillon let out a little laugh and turned to hide his bright blushing face.

"Don't worry, Dill-Pickle," Wes said, winking at him. "What happens in the pit, stays in the pit."

Dillon gave my hand a final squeeze before we dove underwater and swam out of the cave. We followed the three boys as we went out over the Hatteras Plain in search of Pravus' base. We knew that the base would be about seventy miles northeast of the pit, but we didn't know how heavily guarded the base would be or what kind of camouflage it would be disguised with.

 _"How are you feeling?"_ I heard Dillon say through the unumentis.

 _"I'm alright,"_ I timidly replied.

In reality, I was anything but alright. Dillon was able to comfort me in the cave, but every mile that we swam brought with it a returning sense of fear and anxiety. I knew that I had made the right decision to come and save my dad; however, I regretted putting other people in danger. Despite my anxiety, I kept remembering the warrior's oath. We all made a promise to defend and serve one another. This is what kept me swimming.

We eventually reached an area where the ocean floor met a large drop-off. The sandy bottom was met by a dark and luminous space as the seafloor disappeared into the darkness.

This was the area that I saw in my dream.

 _"Tell them to stop,"_ I told Dillon, who was swimming at the front of the group.

Dillon turned around and motioned for the others to sink low to the sea floor. We were all laying on the edge of the drop-off, looking down into the dark abyss. I suddenly saw a small blue light appear at the bottom of the void. I pointed it out to the others and we watched the light multiply and spread.

Wes suddenly pushed himself off of the ledge and started to swim towards the lights. I screamed to call him back, only to find that the sound of my voice was swallowed by the water. Dillon turned himself invisible and started to swim after him. Trey, Milo, and I then pushed ourselves off of the ledge and became transparent as we followed the two men into the darkness.

The lights became brighter and more distinct as we got closer to their source. Despite the light that was suddenly all around me, I had no idea where the rest of the group was.

 _"Where are you?"_ I asked Dillon as I slowed the speed of my swimming to analyze my surroundings.

All I could see was the series of lights that illuminated the side of the abyss. The rock face had a few openings to it which I assumed to be the entrance to the series of caves. To my surprise, I didn't see any form of security or military presence.

Just because I couldn't see anyone, however, didn't mean that I was alone.

 _"Dillon?"_ I asked again as I felt a sense of terror grow inside of me.

There was no response.

The darkness of the abyss was engulfing me. I frantically turned around, only to be faced by the never-ending void. The blue lights were the only points of reference for what seemed like miles.

I was alone. I felt surrounded.

All of a sudden, I felt a heavy object come crashing over the back of my head. The twinkling blue lights were replaced with darkness as I slipped into a state of murky unconsciousness.

* * *

 **What will happen to Merissa? Who attacked her? Where are Dillon and the rest of the group? Stay tuned to find out! Thank you for reading!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	28. Chapter 27: Prison

**As always, thank you so much for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story! I am so thankful for the support!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a Grammarly account and it is probably one of my new favorite things. I highly recommend it. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Prison**

I awoke with a pounding headache. Pain coursed through every muscle and joint in my body. My elbows and shoulder blades were digging into the cold stone ground. I slowly opened my eyes to see that I was in a cave. The room was illuminated by the flickering flames of lanterns. A stone ceiling was above me. I raised my head slightly to see a wall of metal bars. Behind the bars was a long corridor. I was in prison.

I closed my eyes again and laid on the ground in defeat. I didn't know where Dillon was. I didn't know if Wes, Trey, or Milo were safe. I wasn't able to save my father. I had failed my task. I lifelessly laid on the hard cave floor, feeling overcome with guilt and disappointment.

Just as I was going to drift back to sleep, a damp cloth was placed on my forehead. The water was cool and soothing. I heard a beautiful voice singing.

"Cold is the arctic sea," the voice sang, "far are your arms from me. Long will this winter be, frozen in Frobisher Bay. Frozen in Frobisher Bay."

I recognized the song as one that Mimmi sang to me when I was a child. She used to come and visit when I was just a kid. We would play dress-up and make-believe games while my parents went out with friends. A tear rolled down the side of my face. I had betrayed her, too.

"You're awake?" The voice asked as it stopped the song.

I opened my eyes to see a girl kneeling above me. She had dark skin and appeared to be of Native American descent. Her short jet-black hair faded into a turquoise ombre at her ears. A gray sweater hung loosely on her shoulders and a small black choker wrapped around her neck. She had dark brown eyes, like mine, and a small turquoise nose ring. She appeared to be only about sixteen years old.

"Where am I?" I asked her. I tried to sit up which only made the pain in my head worse. The girl gently placed my head in her lap and continued to dab my forehead with the cool cloth.

"You're in what they call 'Carcerem'," she said, looking towards the bars with a far-gone gaze, "which literally translates to 'prison'."

"How long was I out of it?" I asked, feeling the cold rag start to soothe my aching temples.

"About three days," she replied, "I was getting worried. I'm glad that you are awake now."

"What is your name?" I asked as I struggled to understand how I was unconscious for 72 hours.

"Shh," she replied, looking down at me with a frantic look in her eyes, "pretend that you're asleep."

I did as I was told, closing my eyes and making my body as limp as possible. I heard the sound of footsteps echo through the corridor.

"Is the urchin awake, yet?" I heard a female voice screech. She sounded older, making me think that she was in her late fifties.

"No ma'am." I heard the turquoise-haired girl say timidly.

"That piece of barnacle waste is going to pay for what he did," The older woman hissed. "I told him to subdue her, not to leave her brain-dead."

She paused for a moment. I could tell that she was anxiously pacing the corridor.

"Just let me know when she wakes up," She finally barked before turning and walking down the corridor.

"She's gone," I heard the girl whisper as the sound of footsteps faded away.

I opened my eyes and raised my head from her lap. My headache was slowly subsiding and I was able to completely sit up. I looked down to see that I was still wearing my jean shorts and white tank top. My hair had been released from its ponytail and formed a matted mess on the back of my head.

"I feel awful," I said as I ran my hands over my face.

"I can imagine," I heard the girl giggle. "You laid on the ground for three days straight."

We chuckled a bit out of both comic relief and nervous uncertainty.

"I'm Merissa, by the way," I said, turning myself to face the girl who had taken care of me.

"I'm Ignista," she said, extending her hand for me to shake, "but you can just call me Iggy."

"Nice to meet you, Iggy," I said, crossing my legs. "Where are you from?"

"I was born off the eastern coast of Canada in Frobisher Bay," she replied with a saddened look in her eyes, "but we had to move when The Immitis started to take over. My family had lived there for centuries. We were basically the mermaid equivalent to the First Nations. After the revolution started, my family and I had to relocate to the coast of South Carolina to live with the Seabrook Island pod."

I was starting to grow more and more infuriated at the situation at hand. This revolution was causing families to be torn apart. Lives were being uprooted. Innocent people were dying.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"I was trained to be a warrior as soon as we arrived at Seabrook," she said, "They were a small pod and they needed all of the help that they could find. I was on patrol about a year ago and wasn't being careful. Some scouts snuck up and captured me. I was eventually brought to Carcerem and have stayed here since that day."

"I'm so sorry," I said, feeling my heart ache for her suffering, "my aunt and grandmother lived in Canadian waters before the revolution."

"What were their names?" She asked, playing with the water in a large metal pot.

"Mimmi is my aunt," I said, "and Nerissa is my grandmother."

She stopped and looked up at me.

"Nerissa is your grandmother?" She asked, completely in shock.

"Yeah," I replied, blushing a little bit, "I'm Zac's daughter. I came here to find him."

"Your father is the one who destroyed the trident. He saved us all," she replied, "I also know your Aunt Mimmi. She helped me get my legs when my family and I came to South Carolina. She is a very sweet woman."

"Thank you," I softly replied.

"How did you get here?" Iggy asked.

"I was trying to find my dad," I started, trying to remember the now-unclear details from three days ago, "I was with my friends Dillon, Wes, Trey, and Milo. We were at the top of the drop-off. Wes swam down to some lights and we all followed him. I must have gotten disoriented and I couldn't find the rest of my group. The last thing that I remember is getting hit over the head with something heavy."

"You must have been attacked by Taron," Iggy said. I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She appeared to be tough and stoic, but I could tell that she was actually quite smart and kind. For being only sixteen years old, and in prison for one of those years, she must have learned how to put her guard up.

"Who is Teron?" I asked.

"He is the son of Pravus," she replied. She looked at me like I should have known who Teron was.

"I'm so sorry," I said, suddenly realizing that I needed to explain myself. "I have only been a mermaid for about a week now. I was supposed to live my life entirely as a human. Dillon was sent to protect me but then we got attacked by two men. I thought that my father has been dead for almost two years but it turns out that he is here somewhere. Dillon and I were searching for him and brought Wes and Trey and Milo along to help us. Now, everyone is gone."

My words became more strung-together and frantic as I told my story. My breathing was rapid and I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. I was trapped in a prison, no one knew that I was here, and there was no way out.

"Calm down," Iggy said in a firm yet caring tone. "We will find your dad and your friends."

"Thank you," I said, looking down at the ground as I tried to regain my composure. "Who exactly are the key people in this army?"

"Pravus," she started as she leaned against the cave wall, "is the leader of The Immitis, of course. Teron is his son. Poor Teron, while he tries to be a fierce warrior, cannot do anything right. He is probably about your age. The woman that came here a few minutes ago is Pravus' wife, Yersinia. She is the only person here that truly scares me. Pravus is the muscle, but Yersinia is the brain. She is manipulative and ruthless. The two men that attacked you are probably Adrik and Alik. They are twins from the Avacha Bay pod which is off the coast of Russia. They are Yersinia's nephews and right-hand-men."

"Why did they attack me?" I asked.

"Beats me," she said, playing with a lock of her turquoise hair, "but it probably has something to do with vengeance. Your dad destroyed the trident and you two are probably some of the most powerful merpeople in the world. You and your father are the only things standing in Pravus' way."

"I need to find my dad," I said, "I also need to find my friends. I tried to call out to Dillon before I was hit over the head, but I couldn't hear him."

"What do you mean?" She asked, allowing her hair to fall back into place.

"We have this mental connection," I said, "it allows us to talk to one another through our thoughts."

"You share the unumentis?" She asked, looking shocked. "Dang, you two have only known each other for a week and you are already in love."

"What?" I practically screamed. "Dillon and I are not 'in love'. He just said that we have a strong connection."

"Yeah, you have a 'strong connection'," Iggy said, rolling her eyes, "it's called love. The unumentis only works between two mermaids who are in love with one another."

I sat there in shock. I had never been in love before. I didn't know what it felt like to love a boy. Maybe there was a chance that I was in love with Dillon, but those four letters were hefty and daunting.

"Have you tried connecting with him recently?" She asked as she retied the laces on her turquoise Chuck Taylors.

"I can try now," I replied, snapping back to reality.

 _"Dillon?"_ I thought. _"Are you there?"_

 _"Merissa?"_ He replied. He sounded so weak.

 _"He's alive!"_ I exclaimed to Iggy. I was so relieved to hear his voice.

 _"Are you OK?"_ He asked, sounding strained.

 _"I'm alright,"_ I replied. _"I'm in a cell with another girl. She took care of me while I was unconscious."_

 _"Good,"_ He replied. He sounded like he was in pain.

 _"Dillon, are you alright?"_ I asked, growing concerned.

 _"Merissa,"_ he replied, sounding like he could barely breathe, _"they broke my legs."_

I heard the sound of someone screaming. It wasn't until later that 


	29. Chapter 28: Fury

**Thank you so much for reading! I am so sorry for posting so late, but I had a rather eventful morning. Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a pair of ear plugs because I went shooting this morning. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28- Fury**

"Merissa," Ignista said, shaking me as I rolled on the ground. I was in the fetal position, screaming my head off and crying uncontrollably. My hands were covering my ears in some futile attempt to escape from the living nightmare.

"They broke his legs!" I cried out in between my aching sobs.

"Merissa, you need to be quiet," Iggy said in a firm yet frantic tone, "someone will hear you and then who knows what they will do to you."

"I have to heal him," I said, sitting up with the tips of my fingers digging into my scalp. This didn't feel real. I felt as if I were losing my mind.

My world was crumbling into a million pieces. The only thing that I could think of in that moment was my Introduction to Anatomy course. The bones of the legs, especially the femur, were some of the strongest bones in the human body. While ossification was the natural healing process to fix broken bones, it would take weeks. Depending on the severity and type of the break, there was a possibility that Dillon's fractures would not heal properly. This was a best-case scenario. If he sustained an open fracture then sepsis was a concern. He could die.

I had to heal him.

I stood up from the cave floor and began to frantically pace around the cell.

"There has to be a way for us to get out of here," I said, practically running along the length of the bars.

"Merissa, you need to calm down," Iggy said, coming up to put her hands on my shoulders. "Dillon will be alright, they are just trying to use him to get to you."

"This isn't fair!" I cried out as I crumpled against the bars of the cell.

Dillon was seriously injured. Wes, Trey, and Milo were all unaccounted for. My father was either imprisoned, hurt, or dead. All of this was my fault.

"This isn't fair," I repeated softly as tears flowed down my cheeks. I was sitting with my back against the bars and Iggy was standing across from me. I closed my eyes and softly hit my head against the metal in defeat.

"This isn't fair," I muttered.

"Life isn't fair," I heard a sinister voice say from behind me.

I quickly stood up and turned to face the bars. I recognized the voice as belonging to none other than Yersinia.

She had long black hair that was extremely curly and fell to her waist. Her skin was paper-white which contrasted with her bright-red lipstick. Her eyes were a shade of blue that was cold enough to freeze a furnace. She was wearing a long navy dress that fell to her feet. The dress had long sleeves that came to a point at her middle finger which made it look like it belonged in the Renaissance. It was embroidered with a silver thread along the neckline, bringing attention to the moonstone that was fastened to a silver chain around her neck.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her with tears still streaming down my face. I had nothing to lose at this moment. All of the cards were on the table and there was a fire growing inside of me.

"You know," Yersinia said with a menacing smirk on her face, "I was initially mad at my idiot son for almost killing you. If only I knew then how obnoxious and incompetent you are."

I could only stare at her in a disgusted rage.

"Don't get me wrong," she added in a sarcastic tone, "I still think that he is an idiot. I'm just slightly less pissed than I was before."

"You didn't answer my question," I said between gritted teeth.

"I won't answer your question because the answer is blatantly obvious," she said in a condescending tone. "Your ancestors, the same as my husband's I might add, hid away a tool of great power. They had the potential to rule over the Seven Seas and they gave it up. 'For what?' I ask myself every night before I go to bed. 'For world peace and a chance to sing Kumbayah around the fireplace?' No. Your ancestors were fools. Fast-forward a few centuries and your father decides to take it upon himself to unleash the power of the trident. Frankly, he was more of an incompetent idiot than my poor Teron. He was head-over-fin for a land-girl. How disgusting."

I felt my blood start to boil. No one talked about my parents that way and got away with it.

"Anyway," she continued as she inspected her long fingernails, "my husband and I thought that we finally had a chance at reclaiming what was rightfully ours. Your father led us straight to the trident and all we had to do was get it. Unfortunately, your aunt and your father and the rest of their little teeny-bopper posse decided to destroy it before we could get our hands on it."

"The trident was a weapon of mass destruction," Iggy interjected, facing her fear of the menacing mermaid, "its full activation would have killed you."

"Shut up, you little punk!" Yersinia shouted. She raised her hand and sent Ignista soaring through the air. She hit the back wall with enough force to render her unconscious.

Yersinia was a powerful mermaid. I knew that I was more powerful.

"Don't you dare touch her again," I said as I felt my hands start to tighten into a fist. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that my moonring was glowing brightly.

"What will happen if I do?" She scoffed at me.

Without thinking, I held out my moonring and released all of the anger and hurt that was coursing through my veins. I saw a blinding flash explode from the stone on my finger. It traveled through the metal bars and struck Yersinia in the chest. She fell to the ground and started to violently convulse. I had electrocuted her.

I stood there in complete shock. I was both proud and ashamed of my actions. While Yersinia deserved what she had coming, I was also a healer and hurting someone felt inherently dirty and wrong.

"What happened?" I heard Iggy mumble behind me.

I turned around to see her starting to regain consciousness. I ran over to help her stand up, only to find that she had a large gash in the back of her head. She must have hit the wall of the cave so hard that it broke the skin.

"I don't feel too good," she muttered as she started to slip in and out of consciousness.

I gently lowered Iggy back onto the floor. I turned to see that Yersinia was still immobilized on the ground, twitching slightly but still completely unresponsive.

"It's going to be alright," I whispered to Iggy as I gently rolled her on her side.

I carefully put my hands over her gash, pressing with enough force to try and control the bleeding while also making sure that I didn't hurt her. I closed my eyes and focused on healing her. She was so young and had a full life to live. The power started to grow in my core and slowly move out into my arms. I was learning how to control the intensity of my power, but I knew that I couldn't afford to collapse after healing Iggy. The tingling sensation grew in my fingers and I could feel her warm blood start to fade away under my palms. I pulled my hands away to see that her scalp was completely healed.

She blinked her eyes open and placed her hand on the back of her head.

"How did you do that?" She asked as she looked at me in shock.

"I can heal people," I said as I quickly helped to pull her up, "it's a really long story. Right now, we need to get out of here."

Iggy turned to see Yersinia's lifeless body lying on the stone floor. A half-smile crossed her face as she saw what seemed to be the end of the woman who had tormented her for a year.

"Follow me," she said with a fiery and determined look in her eyes.

She walked up to the bars and inspected the lock. It appeared to be a heavy-duty padlock that was resistant to force and gunfire; however, it was not tested to withstand magic.

"I'm going to need you to freeze the lock," she said with her mental wheels turning. "I'm then going to start to boil the lock. Theoretically, the pressure should break it open, but we have to work fast."

I held out my hand and froze the lock so that it was encapsulated in ice. Iggy then started to form her out-stretched hand into a fist, causing the ice to start steaming.

"Hold It a bit longer," she said as she concentrated on boiling the ice at the proper speed.

Just when I thought that I couldn't hold the power much longer, the lock suddenly fell off of the metal latch. I grabbed the metal bars and slid the heavy door open. Iggy and I turned ourselves invisible before running out of the cell and down the long corridor.

We didn't know where we were going, but we weren't looking back.

* * *

 **What will happen to Merissa and Iggy? Will they be able to find everyone? Stay tuned to find out!**

 _ **-Crispin Robb**_


	30. Chapter 29: High-Risk

**Thank you so much for reading! I am so glad that I am able to share this story with y'all! Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a huge bottle of allergy medicine because this season is hitting me hard. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: High-Risk**

 _"Dillon, where are you?"_ I thought as we sprinted through the winding corridors.

The stone walls seemed to be endless as we turned from on corridor to the next. The maze of tunnels led from one to another with cells spaced in between long stretches of stone. I looked inside each of the cells to see if I could recognize any faces.

Dillon wasn't responding to me.

"I think that we are running in circles," I heard Iggy whisper as I stood at the side of the corridor to catch my breath.

She was right. The maze of corridors seemed to be thoroughly interconnected. We needed to find another way out.

I remembered seeing multiple entrances to the caves before I was hit over the head. There had to be multiple levels.

"We need to find the stairs," I whispered as I started to run again.

As we were running, two men dressed in navy came sprinting towards us. They were carrying a stretcher and running towards our cell.

"They know we're gone," I heard Iggy whisper as we pressed ourselves against the side of the corridor.

Just then, a deafening alarm began to sound throughout the corridor. Men and women dressed in navy began to pour into the corridor. Lucky for us, they revealed the entrance to the stairs.

The stairs were hidden behind a stone opening that seemed to open and close by the power of the moonstone. A small trident that was engraved into the stone floor indicated the entrance to each of the stairwells. Iggy and I ran toward the stairwell and were able to make it up the stairs before the doors closed.

We ran down another long corridor before eventually reaching a large open room. I could see that various other halls led into this space where the high stone ceiling formed a dome. The scene inside was absolutely chaotic. The siren was still blaring and small squadrons of troops were frantically running around and assuming various defensive positions. Even though we were still invisible, there was nowhere for us to run.

I felt Iggy grab my arm and pull me along the side of the large room. We barely missed hitting a group of men who ran by with spear guns in hand. They meant business.

Iggy pulled me into an adjacent corridor and then into a small dark room. She closed a curtain behind us before making herself visible. The room was out of sight and there were not many troops patrolling this corridor.

"Where are we?" I asked her, trying to make my voice loud enough to overcome the wailing of the siren.

"I worked in here when I was first captured," she said as she lit a small lantern with her powers. "I was able to find out where we were once we entered the Main Hall. This is the supply room. If we can disguise ourselves then we can maybe stay under the radar long enough to find your dad and friends."

"You are a genius, Iggy!" I exclaimed as I looked around the small room. Navy uniform pieces, including shirts, boots, and hats, covered the shelves. We each put on a navy polo, navy cargo pants, and combat boots. Iggy tied up her turquoise hair and tucked it neatly into a bandana. I combed my matted hair with my fingers and pulled it into a loose braid. I put on a baseball cap and was ready to head out before Iggy stopped me.

"Wait," she said as she took a metal box off of one of the shelves. She opened the box to reveal that it was full of moonstone necklaces. We both took our moonrings off of our fingers and placed them in our pockets before fastening each other's necklaces.

"We will blend right in," she said as she tucked a strand of hair into her bandana. "Just keep your head low and try to follow other groups."

"Where should we go first?" I asked as I put a pair of sunglasses in my pocket, just in case I needed an additional disguise.

"I wouldn't be surprised if your friends are on this level somewhere," she replied. "They usually don't worry about low-risk prisoners."

"Does that make us high-risk?" I asked.

"You are probably the most powerful mermaid here, of course you are high-risk," she replied as she peeked out of the curtain.

"Why are you high-risk?" I asked, keeping my voice low as we were about to enter the corridor.

"Let's just say that things got a bit, shall we say, 'firey' not too long ago," she replied with a smirk.

I was certainly glad to have Ignista as an ally and not an enemy.

"Follow me," she said as she calmly walked into the corridor.

We kept our heads down and walked with intention until we got to the Main Hall.

"From what I have heard, they usually keep some prisoners in the corridor directly across from us," Iggy said as we entered the bustling room.

We quickly walked across the wide cave and were careful not to make eye contact with anyone. After a scary couple of seconds of being fearful that we were going to be caught, we made it safely to the corridor. We started running down the long and winding halls, looking into each cell in a desperate attempt to find the boys. Guards and other military personnel were bustling all around us, but not one person stopped us.

We circled the entire system of corridors before eventually reaching the last hallway. Iggy and I were alone at this point as the majority of Pravus' followers were either in the Main Hall or downstairs.

"What if they aren't down here?" I asked Iggy before walking down the hallway.

"We will find them," she firmly replied. "We will keep searching until we find them."

I took a deep breath and started to walk down the hall.

 _"Dillon, where are you?"_ I subconsciously thought as I made my way down the long stretch of the cave.

 _"Turn around,"_ I heard him reply.

I slowly turned my head to see him sitting in the corner of a cell next to Wes, Trey, and Milo. Iggy and I ran up to the bars and started to mess with the lock.

"Nice of you to join us," Wes said with a smirk. He was sitting on the ground next to Dillon. Dillon looked weak and his legs were badly bruised, but I was glad to see that his fracture was not an open one.

I quickly froze the lock as Iggy boiled my ice. The lock burst apart and fell to the ground. We rushed into the cave and closed the door behind us, moving quickly to tend to Dillons wounds.

I placed my hands on Dillon's legs as Iggy turned us both invisible by placing her hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and concentrated on healing the boy whom I started to care so much about. I felt like I could breathe again now that we had been reunited.

I felt my power start in my core and work its way through my palms. His were the most serious injuries that I had healed, but the tingling in my hands subsided to reveal that Dillon would be just fine.

I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me.

 _"I can't see you, Merissa,"_ he thought as he wiggled his toes, _"but you are still the most beautiful girl I have ever met."_

I was so thankful that he couldn't see me blush.

 _"We need to get you all in disguises before we can find my dad,"_ I told him as I stood up.

He relayed the message to the boys and we all left the cell. Iggy and I made ourselves visible again as the boys concealed themselves under the guise of transparency. We quickly made our way down the corridor and into the Main Hall, eventually reaching the supply closet where we all filed in.

The boys started to grab clothes off of the shelves and put them on while Iggy kept watch to see if anyone was coming. Things had significantly calmed down in Carcerem, but the military personnel would certainly still have their guard up.

"Why did they break your legs?" I finally asked Dillon as he put on a navy t-shirt.

"They wanted me to sell you out," he said with an angry glare in his eyes, "but I refused. They broke my legs as a punishment. They wanted me to tell them everything about you. I couldn't bring myself to betray you. I love you too much."

He did love me. I realized that I loved him, too.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Stay Tuned to see what happens next!**

 **- _Crispin Robb_**


	31. Chapter 30: Run

**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! You all are the best!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I do own a essential oil warmer and it is making my room smell like heaven. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Run**

When I was in tenth grade, I had my first boyfriend. I was so nervous to go on my first date with him. I got ready for what seemed like hours to go to a simple pizza dinner and a movie. Every lock of my elbow-length brown hair had to be perfectly curled. Every eyelash had to be perfectly in place. Every piece of my wardrobe was carefully analyzed to assemble the perfect outfit: a pair of cut-off shorts and tank top to show that I cared but wasn't high-maintenance.

My then-boyfriend never told me that I was beautiful. My then-boyfriend ate his pizza in silence. My then-boyfriend left me for a girl on the volleyball team after our track season was over.

After he broke up with me at the last practice, I came home on in tears. I didn't really care about this boy, but I cared about what he stood for. This boy wanted me and he paid attention to me. When he left me, I felt unlovable.

My dad, without having to be told what happened, sat me on the couch and held me while I cried. I wasn't sad about losing this sixteen-year-old. I was heartbroken that I wasn't good enough. I wasn't worth it.

It was in this moment, on the couch of my living room, that my father told me what I would carry with me for the rest of my life.

"You are worth it," he said as he wiped the tears from my eyes. "You are more than worth it. You just need to find a boy who is worth it, too."

After my dad's disappearance, I recited this mantra on a daily basis. I remembered his words on every date that I went on.

No one had been worth it. Then, I met Dillon.

Dillon was the first guy who had been worth it. He was going to help me find the man who told me I was worth it.

"Let's go find your dad," Dillon said, giving my arm a squeeze before we walked out of the storage room.

"I told you that he loved you," Iggy whispered as we were the last ones to leave the room.

I gave her a nudge and followed her into the corridor.

Our plan was to break up into groups of three. Dillon, Wes, and Trey would search together while Milo, Iggy, and I would break off into our own group. Dillon's group would search the upper floors while my group searched the lower levels. We were initially reluctant to split up, but this was the best way to cover as much ground as possible in a short amount of time. Dillon and I would be able to relay information to one another through the unumentis.

"Please be careful," I heard Dillon say as we began to walk in opposite directions. "I can't bear to lose you again."

"I will, I promise," I said as I entered the Main Hall and kept my head lowered. "Just in case something happens, I want you to know that I love you, too."

"Nothing will happen," he replied in a reassuring tone, "But I love you and I didn't know that I could fall in love with someone so quickly. You mean the world to me, Merissa."

I was worth it. He was worth it, too.

I smiled to the ground and followed Milo and Iggy into a long corridor. To find a staircase, we searched along the wall for a trident engraved in the stone floor. We eventually found one and Iggy used her moonstone necklace to open the stone entrance. We hurried down two flights of stairs and entered a dimly-lit corridor to begin our search.

I could feel my heart racing. I was nervous about being caught. I was nervous about finding my father. I was nervous about putting my friends in danger.

I also knew my power. For this reason, the fear was not debilitating but, rather, exhilarating.

We quickly walked through the interconnecting corridors. By avoiding the gaze of passing guards and turning invisible during times of higher risk, we were able to search the entire floor without being caught.

"What do we do now?" Milo timidly asked.

"We go down another floor," Iggy replied in a gentle way. Milo had the ability to bring out anyone's soft spot.

We re-entered the stairwell and went down to the next floor. After searching that floor, we searched another and another.

"How are you doing?" I heard Dillon asked as I was thinking that Carcerem was a never-ending nightmare.

"We haven't been able to find him," I replied, feeling myself growing more fatigued.

"We will keep looking," he replied. "We will find him."

I smiled and followed Milo and Iggy down the flight of stone stairs.

"Look," Iggy said before opening the door to let us out of the stairwell, "this is the last floor."

My initial feelings of exhilaration were slowly being replaced with ones of uncertainty.

Milo could sense my concern and gave me an affirming squeeze on the shoulder. Iggy smiled at me but I could also see the fear and anxiety in her dark eyes.

She took a deep breath and turned to open the door. We walked out into the corridor to see it illuminated by an equally eerie and mesmerizing blue light.

"What is this?" I asked as we slowly entered the hallway.

"Bioluminescence," Milo and Iggy replied in unison. They glanced at one another and blushed.

This hallway was different from the others. Rather than being winding and branching, this corridor was perfectly straight and singular. It was completely empty. A single cell sat at the end of the long stretch of the cave. Rather than metal bars, this cell was enclosed with glass.

Milo, Iggy, and I exchanged wary looks. Iggy took my hand in an act of solidarity as Milo took my opposite elbow in his. We slowly began to approach the cell in one row.

So many thoughts were racing through my mind. What if my dad was not in this cell? What if my dad was in this cell? How would we free him without being caught? These questions were overwhelming and surmounting.

The hallway seemed to be a hundred miles long, but we eventually made it to the glass wall of the cell. The cell seemed to be filled to the top with water that sparkled in the blue bioluminescence.

The cell was empty.

At least, it appeared to be empty.

I was ready to turn around and return to the stairwell. I was ready to accept the second death of my father. I was ready to collapse into Dillon's arms.

Everything that comes must also go.

Sometimes it will return to you.

Sometimes it will return to you in the form of a merman.

He swam up from the back of the cell. I realized that the tank was full of bioluminescent organisms that glowed when they were moved. The bottom of his tail was chained to the bottom of the cell by a stretch of heavy metal links.

He was so weak, but he was alive. He was there in the flesh. We both approached the glass and pressed our hands against the smooth surface. He was just as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

We started to speak at the same time.

I said, "I missed you."

He said, "Run."

"What?" I shouted as I started to back away from the glass.

"Run!" He yelled with a frantic and terrified look in his eyes.

The three of us turned around to see Adrik and Alik staring at us. They had a menacing glare that was paired with a condescending smirk.

Milo suddenly seemed to pull water out of nowhere, causing the two men to become immobilized by their own merman form. Even though we were able to easily immobilize the two men, a whole army was starting to pour out of the stairwell.

The three of us started to run toward the troops. We were splashing as many guards as we could, but it wasn't enough. Iggy was the first to be grabbed, then Milo, then me. My mouth was covered by a strong hand, making it impossible to breathe. I kicked and fought as hard as I could, but it wasn't enough.

The blue glow of the corridor started to fade away with my consciousness.

* * *

 **I literally wrote this chapter at midnight the night before I posted it, but it was so worth it. I am really happy with how it turned out and I hope that you liked it! Thank you so much for reading!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	32. Chapter 31: Siren Song

**I'M BACK! It is so good to be writing again and I truly missed being able to update this story. Thank you all for being so understanding during my brief hiatus. The time I spent studying paid of and I got straight "A"s on my finals!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter! I encourage you to give the song "Frobisher Bay" a listen as you are reading. Listening to the song will add a lot of depth to this particular scene. As always, leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own the song "Frobisher Bay" by James Gordon. I do own a candle from Wal-Mart called "Aruba Sands" and it smells amazing. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Siren Song**

Stone floors didn't get more comfortable to wake up on. Luckily, I didn't regain consciousness with a pounding headache, but the bruises on my arms and torso were not exactly comfortable.

"She's waking up," I heard Trey say as I blinked my eyes open.

"How long was I out for?" I asked, trying to regain my bearings. I was in a large stone room that was sealed off by a small door made of metal bars. I could see two guards standing immediately outside of the door with spear guns in hand. Alarmingly, my wrists were shackled to the walls of the cave with large chains.

"Only a couple of hours," Milo replied softly. Milo, Wes, Trey, Dillon, and Iggy were all chained around the perimeter of the circular room. There was enough slack on the chains to allow us to sit comfortably, but we could not walk around the room.

My dad was alive and I was so close to being able to rescue him. Once again, I had failed. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the cave wall.

 _"Don't beat yourself up over this,"_ I heard Dillon say through the unumentis.

 _"I know,"_ I replied, feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted, _"but I was just so close. He looked so scared and sick. Now there is nothing I can do to help him."_

I looked up to see the chains that were holding me and my friends in place. I noticed that the guards had changed our clothes into what seemed to be navy blue scrubs. They took my moonstone necklace and the moonring that was in the pocket of my other pants. These scrubs were prison attire.

 _"Why do you think that they were holding him as a merman?"_ I asked Dillon as I sat myself up.

 _"I don't know exactly why,"_ He replied, making eye contact with me from across the room, _"But I think it might be because it is harder for a merman to escape confinement than it is for a land-person. Milo said that he was chained up. The only other way to prevent someone from escaping would be to incapacitate them."_

 _"Incapacitate,"_ I repeated, starting to think of a way for us to get out of this cell.

"Iggy," I whispered as I eyed the two guards, "I need you to sing."

"What are you talking about?" She whispered back as she looked at me quizzically.

"Just trust me," I replied, "sing 'Frobisher Bay'."

She still looked confused, but took a deep breath and began to sing.

"Cold is the Artic Sea. Far are your arms from me. Long will this winter be, frozen in Frobisher Bay. Frozen in Frobisher Bay."

"Everyone, join in," I said to the others as Iggy continued to sing, "And cover your ears."

The boys started to join in slowly as they pressed the inside of their arms to their ears.

"'One more whale' our captain cried," Iggy sang.

"'One more whale then we'll beat the ice'," Dillon joined.

"But the winter star was in the sky," Wes added in.

"The seas were rough, the winds were high," they all sang in unison. Milo didn't join in as if he knew what I was going to do.

His gaze met mine as we took deep breaths and started to sing the siren song that he taught me in the cave during my training. I realized that the song had a perfect harmony to "Frobisher Bay" after I heard Iggy sing it the first time. By singing "Frobisher Bay", Iggy and the boys would keep from being incapacitated by the siren song.

We sang the two songs simultaneously, allowing them to flow in perfect harmony.

 _Listen to my siren song (Cold is the Artic Sea)_

 _Now you know I can do no wrong (Far are your arms from me)_

 _Slipping into the darkest caves (Long will this winter be)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

 _Listen as I sing this song (Deep were the crashing waves)_

 _The sleep will last a lifetime long (That tore our whaler's mast away)_

 _Turning waves their darkest blue (Dark are these sunless days)_

 _A violent shade, a calming hue (Waiting for the ice to break)_

 _Listen to my siren song (Cold is the Artic Sea)_

 _Now you know I can do no wrong (Far are your arms from me)_

 _Slipping into the darkest caves (Long will this winter be)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

 _Dark as pitch and blue as night (Strange is the whaler's fate)_

 _Now you see that there is no light (To be saved from the raging waves)_

 _The song is powerful and strong (Only to waste away)_

 _The sleep will last a lifetime long (Frozen in this lonely grave)_

 _Listen to my siren song (Cold is the Artic Sea)_

 _Now you know I can do no wrong (Far are your arms from me)_

 _Slipping into the darkest caves (Long will this winter be)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

 _Drifting down into your grave (Frozen in Frobisher Bay)_

At the final note, both of the guards collapsed on the ground.

"That was awesome," Wes said, taking his arms away from the side of his head.

"How did you do that?" Iggy said, looking at Milo with both a puzzled and excited look on her face.

"I learned it from a friend," He replied quietly while furiously blushing.

"I hate to be a bubble-buster," Trey said, "but how exactly do we get out of these shackles?"

"I hate to be a bubble-buster," we heard a sinister voice say from the hallway, "but you aren't going anywhere."

It was Yersinia.

"Tsk, tsk," we heard her say from behind the cell door, "you seem to have taken down my guards. What a shame."

I saw her face start to be illuminated by the lantern lights. She was in a wheelchair that was being pushed by a young man. Pravus was standing next to her and they were all being followed by Adrik and Alik. Adrik came forward to unlock the cell and the five of them all filed through the door. They stood in the middle of the large cave room as Yersinia began to address us. She looked frail and incredibly weak. I could tell that my attack on her had done some damage as she was in a wheelchair and covered by a thick navy blanket. She was still wearing her navy renaissance dress, but her long curly locks of black hair were pulled up into a bun.

"How many more times do I have to lock you up, you stupid little girl?" She asked me. Her icy blue eyes were menacing, but I wasn't backing down.

"I can promise you that this is the last time," I said, smirking. "You won't be able to keep us here forever."

"That's exactly what I came here to talk to you about," she said, actually allowing a forced smile to come across her face. "We have decided that you are not worth keeping here. You don't know how to control your powers and we don't see you as a great threat. There is one catch, though."

"Go on," I said, being careful to keep my guard up and not let my emotions get the best of me. I didn't know if I should have been insulted or relieved.

"You have some valuable information that we would like to get our hands on," Pravus said. His voice was deep and monotone.

"I'll let you know anything you want," I simply replied, causing Dillon and the others to look at me. They were clearly alarmed. "But I also have a catch."

Yersinia scoffed at me.

"I want you to free my father," I told her as I looked her straight in the eye. I held my chin up in a sign of both defiance and resilience.

Pravus and Yersinia exchanged wary glances.

"I will also heal your injuries," I added, feeling myself become more nervous.

"What are you doing?" Dillon asked.

"Just trust me," I said. In reality, I had no idea what I was doing. All I wanted was for my friends and my father to be safe.

"We have a deal," Pravus suddenly replied, "I just want her to be better."

I didn't know what Pravus saw in Yersinia, but I could tell that he loved her. Yersinia may be cruel and manipulating, but they seemed to deeply care about one another.

Yersinia sighed before saying, "you, your friends, and your father will be freed by tomorrow morning. We just need to ask you a few questions, first."

"Ask away," I said, trying not to show how excited or relieved I was. This was far from over.

"Teron," Yersinia barked at the boy behind her, "unlock her shackles."

He quickly nodded and walked over to where I was sitting. He was very tall and very thin and had pale skin, icy blue eyes, and black hair like his parents. His hair was wavy and long enough to cover the tops of his eyes. A military-style jacket covered a matching polo shirt and combat boots that looked way too big for him. His eyes stayed fixed on the ground as he fumbled with the key to free my wrists.

Adrik and Alik walked over and stood me up, placing my arms behind my back.

 _"I love you,"_ Dillon said as I was walked out of the cave.

 _"I love you, too,"_ I replied as Teron re-locked the cell door.

* * *

 **What information do they want from Merissa? Will Zac, Dillon, and the others find freedom? Stay tuned to find out! Thank you so much for reading!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	33. Chapter 32: Five

**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying this story. Don't forget to leave a review to let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its ideas/characters. I do own a lot of textbooks that I never used but were really expensive and this makes me sad. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Five**

We walked down a long hallway to get to a stairwell. Pravus carried his wife as Teron carried the wheelchair up the long flight of stone stairs. Once we were up a level, we made our way down another long hallway and into a room that had to be opened by the power of the moonstone.

The room was filled with stone tables and scientific equipment. Small glass vials, similar to the ones that Aunt Mimmi owned, lined the walls of the large laboratory. Technicians in white lab coats diligently worked around the room. Some technicians glanced at us as we walked through the large space and into a small room on the side.

There was a stainless steel table in the office that was surrounded by bioluminescent lanterns. Smaller stainless steel tables sat along the perimeter of the room and were covered in tools, beakers, and vials. The room looked like a surgical suite.

Adrik and Alik placed me in a chair that was against one of the walls. A woman dressed in navy scrubs and a white lab coat entered the room. Her hair was blonde and pulled into a sleek ponytail. She had dark blue eyes and was relatively tall. A metal clipboard rested in her hand and she seemed to be jotting down some last-minute notes as she walked in.

"Hello, Merissa," she said, extending her hand to shake mine. She seemed to have a warm appearance, but I could tell that her personality was as cold as ice. "My name is Dr. Denise Lawson and I will be asking you a few questions."

I softly smiled at her and placed my hand in my lab

"As you know," she began, taking a seat on the large table in the middle of the room, "one of the main difficulties that we encounter is that of the 'just add water' phenomenon. We are well aware that you and your allies are able to come into contact with water without growing fins. My main question for you is: how are you able to do this?"

I sat quietly for a moment, allowing myself to process this information. On one hand, I could tell her that I didn't know; however, this would put our only chance of freedom at risk. On the other hand, I could tell her how to make the potion; however, this would betray those that I care so much about. I felt like I couldn't win.

I thought about my dad and the last fleeting memory that I had of him. I thought that I would never see him again. Now, I had seen him in the flesh and as a merman. He needed me and this was my chance to repay him for all of the times that he came through for me. I wasn't going to give up. I couldn't give up.

I suddenly realized what I had to do.

"There is a potion," I started to say as I crossed my legs and took a deep breath, "I will show you how to make it. I do have one condition, though."

"What would that be?" Dr. Lawson replied, writing down a note on her clipboard.

"There is a secret, but essential, ingredient," I said, "I will tell you what this ingredient is, but only after you release my friends and father."

Dr. Lawson turned to Yersinia and Pravus. They silently nodded their heads in approval.

"We have a deal," she said as she rose from the table. "I will assemble a team of lab technicians and we will get started as soon-."

"As soon as she heals me," Yersinia violently interjected.

I slowly rose from my seat and walked over to her wheelchair. Pravus allowed her to lean forward slightly so I would be able to access her spine. I placed my hands on her lower back and was able to heal her injuries with ease. Her healing pained me, however, and I felt sick to my stomach as she stood up.

"You can follow me, Merissa," Dr. Lawson said quietly as she led me out of the room. Everyone was afraid of Yersinia.

"Attention, everyone," Dr. Lawson shouted as we re-entered the large laboratory, "we are stopping our regular research a bit early today. Please stay if you have a level teal, navy, or silver security clearance. The rest of you, return to your quarters and wait for further instructions."

About twenty of the technicians stopped what they were doing and filed out of the lab. Five technicians stayed, however, and met Dr. Lawson where she was standing.

"Adrea and Wyatt will gather ingredients while the rest of you will measure and prepare the potion," she said, addressing her team.

"Let's hear those ingredients," she said, turning to me and placing a fresh sheet of paper in her clipboard.

I started to name off the ingredients one-by-one, making sure to provide their specific name and quantity. The lab techs worked to gather the different ingredients from the shelves and carefully measure them into a large bowl.

The time finally came for me to provide them with the most important ingredient.

"I need you to release my friends and father before we continue," I said, staring at Yersinia with determined eyes.

She nodded to Adrik and Alik. They left the laboratory and we began to wait.

 _"Dillon,"_ I said, feeling a sense of nervousness begin to grow inside of me.

 _"Merissa, are you alright?"_ He replied, sounding relieved.

 _"Yes,"_ I said, _"I'm fine. They are about to release you all and my father. I need you to let me know when they actually set you free."_

 _"What?"_ He replied, _"I don't understand. I'm not leaving without you."_

 _"Dillon, you have to trust me,"_ I said. _"Just let me know when you are safe and together."_

About twenty minutes went by before I heard from Dillon again.

 _"They let us all go,"_ He said, _"I'm with your dad. He wants you to know how proud he is of you, but he is still worried. We are swimming back to the pit right now."_

 _"Good,"_ I said, breathing a sigh of relief, _"Let him know that I'm alright and that I love him so much. Don't go too far."_

Just then, Adrik and Alik re-entered the lab.

"May we continue?" Dr. Lawson asked, sounding slightly perturbed.

"The most important ingredient for the potion," I began, taking a seat on a nearby stool, "is one that needs to be measured exactly. Too little of the ingredient renders the potion completely useless. Too much of the ingredient can yield detrimental side-effects."

"What is the ingredient?" Dr. Lawson asked, writing down notes on her clipboard.

"It is a concentrated form of Tigerfish egg," I said.

One of the lab technicians walked over to a shelf and picked out a navy vial. She brought it over to the table and revealed that it was the Tigerfish egg concentrate.

"We have never before used this substance in our research. We all thought that it served no purpose," she said, picking up the vial to closely examine it. "How much of the concentrate do we add to the potion?"

I took a deep breath.

"Exactly five drops."

* * *

 **What will happen to the potion? Will Merissa be freed? Stay tuned to find out! Thank you for reading!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


	34. Chapter 33: Gone

**Thank you so much for reading! I wrote this chapter at approximately 1 o'clock in the morning, but it was fun to write and I hope that you enjoy it! As always, leave a review and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Mako Mermaids or any of its characters/ideas. I also do not own the Lego brand. I do own a bathing suit that will be perfect for going to the lake today because the weather is wonderful. All OCs are my own creation.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Gone**

When I was in seventh grade, I competed in the school-wide science fair. I personally did not want to compete in the fair, but my mom insisted that it was a wonderful way to deepen my understanding of the subject. My dad helped me build my final project: a paper mache volcano. The whole purpose of the volcano was to show how baking soda, which contains the basic sodium bicarbonate, and vinegar, which contains acetic acid, neutralize when they come into contact to form carbonic acid. This carbonic acid then decomposes into carbon dioxide and water. The release of the carbon dioxide ultimately creates a bubbly "explosion". Despite the science, my dad and I were in it for the bang factor.

The day finally came to reveal my creation to the panel of judges at the science fair. My volcano was carefully painted and was even surrounded by a small Lego village. A fairly large amount of baking soda sat at the bottom of the volcano and all I had to do was slowly pour some of the red-dyed vinegar into the hole. I was not, but any means, supposed to pour in the whole bottle of vinegar; however, my nerves got the best of me and I ended up dumping the entire bottle into the volcano.

Nothing happened at first. Just when the judges approached my project to get a closer look, they were suddenly drenched with the watery red mixture that erupted from my volcano. Needless to say, I didn't get first prize, but I learned a valuable lesson: exact measurements are crucial.

"Are you sure that it is five drops?" Dr. Lawson asked, pulling me from my flashback.

"Yes," I replied, allowing my eyes to meet hers, "I'm sure."

Dr. Lawson nodded to one of the technicians. She slowly opened the vial and grabbed a dropper to measure out the Tigerfish egg concentrate. Her hands were shaking and I could tell that she was nervous.

"Let me do it," Dr. Lawson groaned as she snatched the vial and dropper away from the young lab tech.

She put on a pair of safety glasses and added the first drop. The potion turned from black to silver.

"What just happened?" Yersinia asked, stepping closer to the potion.

"It means that it is working," I replied under my breath.

Dr. Lawson added the second drop, causing the potion to turn from silver to gold. The third drop caused it to change from gold to bronze.

"Just two more drops," I said.

"I can count," Dr. Lawson snapped at me.

She added another drop, causing the potion to turn from bronze to platinum. The fifth and final drop caused the potion to turn from platinum to black. A purple smoke was rising from the mixture and it smelled like dead fish.

"Is that supposed to happen?" One of the lab techs asked, causing him to receive glares from both Dr. Lawson and Yersinia.

"Of course," I replied in the most condescending tone I could muster. I felt bad for putting down an innocent technician, but I knew what had to be done.

"What happens next?" Dr. Lawson asked. Her face was slightly grimacing in response to the putrid smell of the potion, but I could tell that she was doing her best to try and hide her discomfort.

"We need to spread the potion on the neck, wrists, elbows, and knees of whoever we are transforming. This will allow the potion to be able to easily get into the bloodstream. I will then use the power of the moonstone to allow the potion to take effect. It should work by tomorrow morning," I said as I eyed the room, trying to predict who would be the first to volunteer.

"Let's get started," the first subject said as she started to roll up her sleeves and make her way into the surgical suite.

It was none other than Yersinia.

Everything was going according to plan.

We followed her into the small, yet well-lit, room.

 _"Dillon, I'm going to need you in a little bit,"_ I said to him as I shut the door behind me.

 _"I'm your man,"_ he replied. _"I have all the faith in the world in you, Merissa."_

I softly smiled to myself as I approached the metal table. Yersinia was already laying on the hard surface, her skirt pulled up slightly to reveal her pale legs and her sleeves rolled up to expose her elbows and wrists.

I told two of the lab technicians exactly where to spread the potion as Dr. Lawson made notes.

"I'm going to need a moonstone to be able to do this," I said to Pravus. He nodded to Adrik and Alik and they soon returned with a moonstone necklace.

I moved the large and ragged stone around between my fingers. I could feel my heart racing at a mile per minute. I was so nervous, but this whole experience had hardened me. I knew that sacrifices had to be made to save those that you loved and cared about.

"Are we going to do this or not?" Yersinia snapped, pulling me back to reality.

I swallowed all of my inhibitions and took my place at the end of the table.

"You might feel a tingling sensation," I said, trying to calm my nerves, "that is normal and expected. Just close your eyes and take some deep breaths."

She begrudgingly closed her eyes and I held up the moonstone by its chain. The power in this stone felt much different than the power that was contained in my ring. This power was exponentially more volatile and unstable. I concentrated and focused the blue beams that radiated from the stone onto Yersinia.

Her feet slowly started to transform into water. Teron's eyes met mine and I could tell that they were full of terror and uncertainty.

"It's OK," I mouthed. His gaze fell back to the floor as I continued to concentrate on the task at hand.

The magic started to move up her body, transforming her legs then hips then torso into nothing but water.

"You're doing great," I said aloud. I wasn't entirely sure if I said those words for her sake or mine, but they were reassuring, nonetheless.

The water was slowly approaching her neck and head, engulfing her body in the blue liquid that danced in the light of the moonstone.

"Is this supposed to sting?" She asked, sounding like she was in serious pain.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep calm under such great pressure. Everyone, Pravus, Dr. Lawson, Adrik and Alik, Teron, and the lab technicians, was staring at me. They were all waiting to see what would happen next.

I didn't even know what would happen next.

"This really hurts!" Yersinia shouted. She started to struggle, causing small droplets of water to spray across the room. Everyone started to frantically take cover as they didn't want to grow tails in the middle of the transformation.

"Yersinia," I said, "you need to stay still. This will all be over soon."

"This isn't worth it!" She shouted again, just before her mouth transformed into water. The rest of her attempted speech sounded like desperate gurgles.

"What are you doing to her?" Pravus asked in a frantic tone. He looked at his wife with a desperate and helpless gaze.

"It will all be over soon," I mumbled to myself.

Suddenly, the magic seemed to come to a breaking point. The moonstone let out a flash of bright blue light before causing the room to go dark.

Right before we lost the ability to see, I realized that Yersinia's water form had collapsed into a puddle on the ground. She was gone for good. The room was pitch black.

 _"Run."_

* * *

 **Will Merissa escape? Where is Dillon? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **-** ** _Crispin Robb_**


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